Into the Madhouse
by Charlie Grayson
Summary: SEQUAL TO OVER THE LIMIT! Every hero has their limits that they can't cross. Nightwing has been pushed to his limits before, but when a deal from his past is suddenly called, he will have to test his limits and journey into the madhouse. Will he make it out alive, or will he lose himself tortured by the guilt from his past? Part Two of my Madhouse Trilogy.
1. Chapter 1 Prequel

**Sequel?! I think so. I got it up relatively fast I suppose….**

**Any who… The original is called Over the Limit, and it is kind of necessary to fully comprehend this story. I mean, I guess you don't **_**have**_** to read it, but I would seriously recommend it. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own. I hate that part.**

The wind carried familiar scents to his nose, gently pushing his cape away from his dark farm and ruffling his ebony hair over his masked eyes. He looked out over the city, _his_ city, his and Batman's, the latter of whom was being threatened by the toxin of a madman.

Robin cringed at the sudden pain. It had only been three weeks since his escape, and he had only seen medical treatment once. He couldn't lie to himself, his whole body ached just from thinking it seemed. But his current task was more important, his current mission.

There was a faint noise behind him, so faint only trained ears or super hearing could pick them up.

Footsteps.

Quiet footsteps, the soft clicking of heels on the concrete roof of Wayne Enterprises. They were near silent, well trained; gently landing on each step.

He squinted his eyes, the whites of his domino mask becoming nothing more than slits.

"What do you want, Babs?" he asked, wincing at his own tone. It was venomous, dangerous, and angry. He couldn't believe he had sounded that way towards one of his best friends.

"He's my mentor too, Robin." She said quietly, placing a gentle hand on her friend's shoulder. He turned around, his face a bit strained.

His brow creased, the masks of his eyes neutral. With a tense jaw, his lips formed a straight line. _Damn. _Barbara thought. _He learned a lot from Bats._

"Robin, don't worry." She said. "We'll find the Joker."

_**Later **_

Robin and Batgirl sat perched on top of the Joker's alleged new hideout. They'd interrogated some low life thug that was said to know 'everything' that went on in the underworld.

He'd been easy to squeeze information out of. Apparently, Batman talks to him rather often and he knows the consequences of not talking. He had asked for confidentiality, so although both Batgirl and Robin knew his real name (Ronaldo Martinez), he preferred to go by Eddie, which was a perfect name for a sleaze ball.

'Eddie' had heard that Joker had returned to Gotham and hidden out in an abandoned theme park on the edge of Gotham called 'Joyland.' He appeared to be staying in the house of mirrors, with it's spray painted walls covered in faceless smiles, and pointless 'ha's. Robin shivered slightly, the horrible laughter ringing in his ears still.

"Ready?" Batgirl said, putting away her binoculars as she stood. She prepared her grapple, aiming for the top of the Ferris wheel.

"Completely." Robin ground through his teeth, doing the same.

A small smirk appeared on Batgirl's face as she fired, and just before she jumped she shouted, "I better make it on your secret team for this, Boy Wonder!"

_**Meanwhile: At the Cave**_

"You're in denial again." The blonde hero stated, leaning forward on her knees towards Wally, who was happily munching away on a large platter of cookies.

"And, just like last time, I'm okay with that." Wally stated through a mouthful, small chunks of cookie flying out around his words.

Black Canary sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes. "Wally, this is different than the last time. This was real. You still have a broken leg!" she said, motioning towards his elevated leg that gently rested on the coffee table.

Wally chewed his cookie thoughtfully. Black Canary could see through him, and he couldn't just pretend nothing was wrong.

He couldn't pretend he didn't have nightmares every night, and he couldn't say he always had ear buds in now to block out the laughing that permanently rang in his ears. He couldn't pretend that every time he closed his eyes he didn't see a huge smile. He had practically shunned his Kid Flash mantle.

The bulky cast that covered his lower leg was a painful reminder of just what had happened, not to mention the horrible smiley face scar that littered his pale skin on his chest. The rest would heal, and maybe that would too, but it would definitely take longer.

"Wally, you're going to have to deal with this sooner or later." Black Canary rested a hand on his knee, as if that was supposed to comfort him.

"Later than." He said, swallowing the last cookie hurriedly as he stood up from the over-stuffed green chair. "See ya around, babe." He said as he walked as fast as his leg would allow out of the therapy room.

Black Canary sighed, and went to get another member of the team, hopefully one who would talk. However, the small child who was probably going through the worst of it was missing, and when the members of the Bat family wanted to disappear, they weren't easily found.

"Batgirl, go find Harley!" Robin ordered, running after the fleeing form of the Joker who was running out the front door, completely opposite from Harley.

"Robin, are you sure you won't-"

"I'm fine!" he interrupted her. "Just go!" he was out the door by now, his voice carrying through as it swung behind him.

Robin followed the laughter through the abandoned park, chasing the madman, playing his game. He chased him to the end of the park, where it met the dark water of Gotham Bay. Joker stood, facing Robin with his arms outstretched by his sides.

"What's the matter, Boy Blunder?" Joker taunted as Robin came to a halt a few feet in front of him. "Bat-Daddy not holding up to my new and improved Joker serum?" as his own words he began cracking up, the way teenagers would to one of their friends making a hilarious joke and then just laughing because their friends are still laughing.

"Give me the antidote, Joker!" Robin's brow creased, his words quiet and well thought out. He secretly reached behind his cape, where Joker couldn't see, to pull out a few birdarangs. He put the three he had between his fingers, already aiming where they would go.

"Oh, but then you'd be a party pooper and take me back to Arkham." Joker actually _frowned._ In a pouty, sarcastic kind of way, but still, _Joker had __**frowned.**_"As much as I like making macaroni art with the loonies, I'd rather be out here playing my games with you and Batsy!"

"Just give me the antidote!" Robin growled, almost throwing his birdarangs but restraining himself, seeing Joker getting at something.

"Tell ya what, Bird Boy." Joker said, placing one hand on his hip and the other pointing a pasty white finger at Robin. He then proceeded to rub his chin thoughtfully and think over his next words. "I'll give you the antidote," he paused, probably waiting for dramatic effect. "On two conditions."

"What do you want?" Robin asked. He mentally scolded himself. He'd let Joker trap him, putting him right where he wanted him. And the madman knew it. He knew Robin would do just about anything to save his mentor, and he was willing to exploit that small weakness.

"Well, the first is obvious don't you think?" Joker asked, chuckling softly and to himself for once. "I want to be able to walk away clean. Don't follow me, not yet." He ran up to robin and knocked his forehead. "Duh!"

"Done. What else?" Robin ground out, ignoring how close Joker was to his face and merely listening to his request.

"You'll have to repay the favor someday." He said. "Deal? Deal. Okay, bye now birdie boy! Say hi to Daddy for me when he gets all better! I'll be in touch!" Joker tossed Robin a small vile of cherry red liquid that glistened in the dim light of the bay. He jumped in the air, letting out a small whoop and running joyously off.

Robin put away his birdarangs, locked the antidote in a small compartment in his utility belt, and went off to find Batgirl.

"I just can't believe anyone would do that." Megan sniffled, her eyes downcast as Black Canary listened intently.

"I know, M'gann." She whispered, trying to shake the horrible images that came to mind with her own miniscule encounters with the one they called _Joker._ "But you're safe now. You're all safe now."

That was a lie. No one felt quite the same without Kaldur. Despite the fact that he was normally peaceful and quiet, the Cave seemed much quieter without him. No one said his name anymore, and Aquaman had isolated himself in Atlantis while he tried to heal.

It really didn't help that the only one who knew how he died, or where his body was exactly was Robin, and he was not only missing, but he had refused to talk about it upon his arrival when they'd all returned.

The entire team also seemed bored. They'd all been subjected to staying at the cave for a few more weeks, without missions. It was supposed to _heal_ them, but no one seemed to want to heal.

Black Canary sighed, looking at the silently weeping Martian sitting across from her. "Megan, it's okay. You can tell me. Nothing leaves this room." She said, trying to comfort her the best she could.

"I know, it's just… the memories… they are all I can think about anymore. The emotional trauma and stress put on my own mind and the others'…. I can _feel_ their pains too. I remember their memories and my own." She looked up, her green eyes dull, not looking at Canary but _through_ her.

The Martian's eyes were brimming with tears, her lower lip hidden in the security of her teeth. She moved her hands from their place in her lap to the chair's arms, her hands clenching the soft fabric. "It was so horrible, the different methods of torture and the ways he thought up… he really would've _killed_ us, wouldn't he?"

Black Canary paused. The question, although obvious, had come as a shock. She had assumed that, despite M'gann's cheery attitude and general belief that mankind was good, she knew that there were some out there who wanted nothing more than to hurt people like the two heroes in the room. She'd gone against some pretty heavy hitters, Joker included.

"Yes. He would've." She said, averting her own sapphire eyes. Her voice was barely audible, but she felt the Martian didn't really need to hear the answer to know it was out there.

"How could someone think that was _funny?!" _She sobbed, thrusting her own face into her green palms. "Kaldur died, and all he could do was _**laugh**_!"

Black Canary hesitantly placed a gentle hand on her knee.

"Look, Megan. I can't even begin to understand what that was like. But I do know one thing." She paused, moving her hand to underneath the girl's chin and pulling it up so they could make eye contact. "I'm here for your recovery, and I'll always listen."

_**I can't get the lines to work… so **_

_*****MEANWHILE*****_

"Batgirl! I got it!" Robin's voice echoed on the walls of the house of mirrors. She wasn't responding, probably chasing after Harley. He put his fingers to his communicator, repeating the phrase and telling her to meet him at the Cave.

And with that, he went off to heal his mentor.

**So?! Extra long for the first chapter and everything. I felt like I needed to check up on the team, and I tried to display emotional Megan decently. Although, my dislike for her character has only gone up since season 2, and I never really focused on writing her, so it may or may not be some of my not so good moments…(I've got quite a few)**

**Anyway, yes. I made Batgirl play a much more significant part of this chapter. I figured since she only appeared once or twice in the prequel, why not use her character? She will actually be a pretty important part of the story. Just a heads up.**

**Long chapter, cliff hanger, don't hate me. :D **

**Question of the update: what are you looking forward to the most for the end of the hiatus? Speaking of which, anyone got an actual date as to when that ends? **

**REVIEW! **

**~Charlie~**


	2. Chapter 2 You Owe Me

**Wow… totally unexpected turnout. I mean, 21 follows, 7 favorites, and 6 reviews? In the FIRST DAY!**

**That by far surpasses my expectation, and I am not even lying when I say I literally screamed for joy when I woke up with 33 emails about all the reviews and what not! Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everyone. **

**So as a reward, I'm updating unusually fast. I'm rather proud of myself. **

**Enjoy!**

There was a slight shift in the air moments before he arrived. Wally could feel it, as if the tension was at its peak and someone had to break it or the whole mountain would explode.

The boredom, and the not speaking about anything other than basic chit chat during breakfast (when anyone other than Megan actually showed up for breakfast, that is) was getting excruciating. The team hadn't even been allowed to help look for their missing comrade!

It felt like they'd been removed from the Joker's prison, but had been placed into the League's. Wally couldn't think of a better way to spend the next few months. Although he was worried about his best friend, he knew Robin. He could handle himself, and he would. He wasn't worried about that.

He was worried about Robin doing something stupid that he'd regret, just to save Batman.

Although, not long after Robin had gotten out, Batgirl had seemingly 'vanished', which meant she was probably looking out for him. Out of all of them, she had strangely walked away with the least amount of injuries.

Of course, the poison jacked her up a bit on the inside, but she was cured now. Dr. Thomas or whatever had made sure, probably run as many blood tests as Bruce would have if he was awake.

However, none of that was relevant. Wally could just kind of feel all that worry go away within seconds before the Bat children's arrival to the Cave. Seconds, though, to him were like minutes. So it really felt like moments of peace before they arrived, announcing they had found and returned the cure.

Which was a relief. It meant Batman would be healthy again, Robin would get _actual_ medical treatment, and (best of all, in Wally's opinion) both the little 'heroes' would get the lecture of a lifetime **and** have to stay here for the remainder of the little lockdown. In fact, they would probably have extra security.

Not that they couldn't get out still if they'd wanted to. They both probably had every League member's weaknesses (physical and emotional) memorized and knew how to exploit them.

But, again, that was irrelevant.

What was relevant, however, was that Wally somehow found himself walking towards his best friend, who was hunched over in a chair just _watching_ Batman. The bond between those two, although unnoticed by most, was actually really amazing. Neither would admit it (although everyone knew), but they needed each other.

"Hey." Wally said simply, pulling up a chair next to his friend. He inwardly groaned. _'Hey'; the best greeting for a kid in Dick's position right now._

He sat down next to him, leaning slightly onto his shoulder and nudging him playfully. He grinned a little, but it faded when he got no reaction and he returned to a normal sitting pose.

"Hey." Robin responded. His gaze never wavered, his body intent on staying exactly where it was, positioned to stare at Batman until he was fully recovered.

Wally himself followed Dick's gaze, watching the broken Bat lie in a hospital bed. One who didn't understand the impact of the situation would think he was just another guy. He had a bandage around his forehead, another wrapped across his chest. The large, bloody gash that had once stained his features was now covered by the bed sheets. The heart monitor was steady, and the doctor said he'd fully recover.

"He'll be fine, you know." Wally said, looking over at Dick briefly. He saw the boy's gaze shift slightly, only to flicker back as he considered the red head's words. "He'd never leave you like that."

"I know that, mentally." Robin said, his voice small. Wally tried to comprehend the hidden message in his friend's words.

"What do you-"

"I mean, I _know_ he'll be okay, but I still _feel_ like he's dying." Robin said. He turned entirely, looking his friend full in the eyes. Wally wasn't used to the bright blue of his gaze, not without the obstruction of a mask or sunglasses. It seemed more _intense_ now. Robin found it pointless to wear the mask or glasses around the cave now that everyone had seen.

"Still don't get it." Wally said, which wasn't a complete lie. Wally _kind of_ understood what his friend was saying, but not entirely. He wasn't sure he was onto the right thing or not.

"I prepared myself for Bruce to die. Ever since I thought he was dead I'd been preparing for it. But now," he paused, glancing back over at his mentor. "It just feels weird. I know he's going to be okay up here." He gestured toward his head, poking his index finger into his temple. "But not here." Then he held a fist over where his heart was, right over his left breast.

Wally was processing this as fast as he could, (which is saying something for a speedster) and he could still just barely wrap his head around it. He understood more, but only slightly.

"Oh." He said, trying to not just leave his friend hanging.

"Yeah." Robin said, leaning back in his chair as his gaze settled back on the steady rise and fall of Bruce Wayne's chest.

_**Five Years Later**_

He looked over his shoulder, cautiously taking a silent step forwards. His senses were at their peak, waiting for something to happen. He put his back against the wall, carefully peering around the corner.

Then her heard the slight flap of a cape, a clear signal that she was here. He whipped around, grabbing Batgirl around the ankle and slamming her to the ground before she could successfully deliver the kick to his jaw. While she struggled to get up he sprinted around the corner, and down the hall.

He was so close, he could _see_ the flag. It still sent shivers up his spine to win at this game, despite being leader _and_ an eighteen year old hero.

And just as Batgirl's lithe form landed on him, pinning him to the ground, he managed to grasp the brightly colored flag between his Kevlar lined fingertips and yank it from its place on the miniature flagpole.

He whooped in victory as he shoved Babs off of him and ran back around the corner.

He could hear her after him, their footsteps careless and thumping throughout the small maze they'd constructed in the Cave. He'd already been discovered, there was no point in hiding anymore.

He was faster than Barbara, and he had more stamina. He was positive he could outrun her. The only person on the team who could outrun him was Wally, and he and Artemis had quit about a year ago.

He hurriedly made his way back to his own base, having recovered the last flag to complete the level. He could hear Beast Boy and M'gann joining Batgirl in chasing him. The claws of a cheetah were quickly gaining distance on him.

But right as the cheetah launched itself into the air, his feet were lifted off the ground and he found himself being mentally squeezed in the air as Miss Martian tried to pry the flag from his firm grasp.

But he wouldn't have that.

He reached back into his utility belt, pulling out a small explosive ball. He struggled to toss it towards the Martian, detonating it within about five feet of her floating form. It exploded and he found himself flipping onto the ground, continuing his valiant spring towards Home Base.

He could see it, along with a few other team mates who were left to guard the territory. He rushed past them and left Blue and Cassie to fend off the red team as he desperately tried to attach the flag.

And just as he did so, all the holographic walls seemed to melt into thin air, the computer announcing 'Wing Team's victory.

He could hear small shouts of triumph from his team, as well as joking threats from the blue team as he panted, pacing in order to get his heart rate down. He felt a light pat on his shoulder, and turned to see Batgirl, smirking at him.

"Nice job, Wonder Bread." She said, panting between words. Nightwing laughed, walking away towards the Zeta tube.

"Thought I grew out of that nickname when I lost the cape, BG!" he called as the computer called out his name, and sent him to Bludhaven before he could hear her snarky reply.

As he stepped out of the alleyway that the Zeta was located in, the new atmosphere of his city sent a chill down his spine, despite the thick padding in his costume. He pulled out his grapple, sending himself up to a rooftop.

Before he could even begin to enjoy the view of the city, the striking light in his own image littered on the cloudy sky caught his image. He didn't have a light like the Bat-signal back in Gotham, so someone not only wanted his attention, someone was daring and willing to make a point.

Point taken.

Nightwing furrowed his brow, gazing up at the sky before jumping off to follow the light.

When he reached the rooftop the light lay on, he almost wished he hadn't come. Spread across the rooftop was hundreds of dead robins. Their blood was smeared across the cement of the roof, it's crimson glistening in a sickly way in the moonlight.

_You owe me, Robbie!_

**Well. I have a sick mind. **

**Sorry if the end is a bit sloppy, but I am seriously procrastinating on my homework and all that nonsense. Biology, history, and journalism just make me want to take a nap. **

**This chapter also took two days to write, so don't look at me! **

**Seriously, thanks for all the responses. This story got more on the first day than Over the Limit did in a week! I'm excited about it.**

**QUESTION TIME! What's your favorite part of Halloween? No it's not relevant, but I'm extremely excited for Halloween and all the fairs and trick or treating and Field of Screams (which is really big where I live) and horror movies! In case you haven't noticed, I REALLY LIKE HALLOWEEEN! **

**LEAVE A REVIEW!**

**~Charlie~**


	3. Chapter 3 All Coming Back

**Updating before I forget what the story is actually about like I normally do… yes I deserve a gold medal. You guys should get me one. XD **

**No don't because I'm partially only updating out of boredom and the strange, yet overwhelming (or should I say whelming?) urge to hit buttons on my computer. Weird, but true. **

**Anyway, thank you for all your amazing feedback! I love it! Keep it coming. Seriously. **

**By the way, **_italics_ **are thoughts, and **_**bold italics**_** are messages or notes. **

**Disclaimer: No….. just…. No. **

Dick opened his eyes, staring blankly up at the ceiling he couldn't see. His room was pitch black, the only exception being his glowing green alarm clock. It vaguely reminded him of that night, the numbers burning themselves into the backs of his eyelids.

It had been so long, he'd been repressing the memories and had succeeded for the longest time. But now…

Joker had brought it all back. He'd basically disappeared after that night when Robin retrieved the cure. Although the whole team had been traumatized for a good year after that, slowly but surely healing. The psycho's horrible laugh had littered Grayson's mind ever since he saw that rooftop.

He sat up abruptly, trying desperately to shake the sound from his mind. He thrust his legs over the edge of the bed, away from the sweaty sheets, and buried his face in his hands. He couldn't breathe.

It was all coming back.

His muscles clenched uncontrollably, tightening his body until he could barely move. He tried desperately to breathe, taking off the white tank top he'd been wearing and taking deep breaths. But it did nothing, his body still deprived of oxygen.

His fingertips were shaking, his eyesight going fuzzy despite his desperate attempts to remain calm and focus.

_Ha, ha, ha!_

He clutched his ebony hair, trying desperately to get it out. The laughter, the sight of his friends dying, the silver gaze staring at him while he helplessly watched the life fade away…

_Kaldur._

No! He'd forgiven himself! He'd moved on, he hadn't thought about this in so long. It felt like he'd forgotten the emotions that now came surging back to him.

_I couldn't save him._

"No!" he shouted, punching a hole through his wall. He grumbled angrily to himself, almost immediately bending over to pick up the pieces of the broken drywall. "Damn it." He said quietly.

"Stay calm, Grayson." He turned slowly to look at the owner of the voice. She kneeled on the mattress, her blue eyes practically glowing in the darkness as they stared at him, hunched over on the floor.

He sighed, looking back at the shattered dry wall in his hands. "Sorry, Babs." He whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's a little hard to sleep when you're screaming at nothing." She said, a small smirk playing at her lips as she stood, her tee shirt barely brushing her bare thigh. She crouched beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder, her smirk disappearing. "Hey," she said, softly, feeling his sweaty skin. "What happened?"

_You wouldn't understand._ He thought, but he didn't say it. Babs would understand almost perfectly. She didn't know what he'd done to get the cure, none of them did. But she was there. She would understand his nightmares, his fear, his actions.

"Joker." He said, shutting his eyes despite it already being dark in the room.

She didn't say anything, although her brow furrowed. He could feel the muscles in her hand tighten slightly, her own memories probably coming back to her as well. He felt guilty for a moment, imagining what had happened to her, and that he had brought it back.

"It's okay." She said her voice quiet and reassuring. "It's over now, Joker's gone."

"No, Barbara. He's not." Dick stood up, turning away from his best friend and pacing the floor, throwing the dry wall in a small waste basket he kept next to his bed. "We never caught him. He could always come back."

She thought a moment. She knew he was right, but she'd never admit it. Especially not in this moment, when she needed to comfort him, not confirm his fears. He moved a strand of fiery hair thoughtfully out of her face, standing up and facing him.

"What brought this on?" she asked, squinting her eyes at her friend.

"I don't know." He lied. He knew she could see through it, but he didn't want to tell her that his favor to the devil himself had been called. He didn't want to admit that he'd done something incredibly stupid to save Batman.

She sighed, realizing he wouldn't tell her tonight. She climbed back into bed, ignoring his curious glance. He'd fully expected her to demand she tell him, but she was far too tired. "Get in bed, Grayson." She ordered, already drifting back to sleep. "I'll get the answer from you in the morning."

His leather jacket ruffled in the wind, revealing a small arsenal of weaponry. He squinted his eyes, not that one could see it behind his helmet. The blood smeared across the rooftop, he wondered if Dickie bird had seen it yet.

_Probably._

Not much happened in Bludhaven that Nightwing didn't know about. At least, that's how Dick portrayed it. Although, he rarely believed it, often thinking Dick just did it to keep Bruce off his back. Although, he was greatly surprised Dick didn't know of his presence in his city yet.

He leaped from his perch, getting closer to examine the bloody message.

_**You owe me, Robbie!**_

He crouched down, getting a small sample of the blood on his Kevlar covered finger tips. He brought it back up to his face, examining it. It was bird's blood. Worse, _robin's _blood.

Only one person would be sick enough to think this up.

Joker.

But, why Dick? And why did Dick owe him? None of this made any-

"What are you doing here?"

He jumped, startled at the new voice. Instinct directed him, pulling his hand down to where he kept his .45 gun, immediately flipping around and aiming straight at the intruder. But his body relaxed when he recognized the blue bird himself.

"Just checking in. I like to see how the Bat-family is holding up without me." He said, his smirk evident in his voice.

Nightwing took a step forward, he took a step back. The last thing he'd wanted to do was confront the hero.

"You act like you got kicked out." Dick said, the sympathy in his voice making the other vigilante sick. Dick continued walking, he continued backing.

"I did, after my little rampage. Remember? You were kind of there." He said, taking yet another step back and finding a concrete wall. _Damn._ Dick trapped him.

"You left, Jason. We didn't kick you out." Nightwing said, his frown only deepening. "And I wouldn't call it little, considering you tried to kill me _and_ Tim, and nearly succeeded."

"I left because I don't need you people!" Jason snapped, his tone venomous. He took a small step forward, as though trying to assert his dominance in the scenario, or lack thereof.

"You left because you were ashamed!" Dick shouted, taking his own step forward, being nearly an arm's length away from Jason now.

Jason almost retorted, but bit his tongue. It wasn't like Dick to snap at him. _The stress._ Jason thought, remembering how stressed Dick could get over one thing or another. He would become snappy, cranky, sad, and would experience rapid mood swings. It was like he was on his own little period.

"Why do you owe the Joker?" he said instead, replacing his snarky comeback. Jason knew he wasn't witty, but he could beat Dick in a stubbornness contest any day of the week. But he knew how to handle his adoptive brother on nights like this.

Dick's face noticeably softened, and he took a small step back. Jason struck a nerve, and he knew it. But between his hate of touchy subjects and his hate of the Joker, he hated the Joker more.

"Why do you care, Jason?" Nightwing asked, looking at the ground. He lowered his fists, without unclenching them, and closed his eyes behind the mask.

"I want to help." Jason said simply, he began pacing, even removing his helmet for a moment. He looked at his brother, mask to mask. "I hate Joker, you hate Joker, it'll be a team effort and we'll take him down." He shrugged.

Dick frowned, speculating his next words. "Why would I need your help?"

"Because you don't want Bruce to know that you're doing the Joker a favor." The Red Hood shrugged again, fidgeting with his helmet. He glanced up at the blue clad vigilante. Dick was staring at him intently, and Jason could just imagine the bright blue eyes that matched his own glaring at him with such a burning hatred…

He shook his head, getting such thoughts away from his concentration. Dick would say yet to his proposition, and he would finally get the revenge he'd been seeking for a long time now.

He'd avenge his own death.

"Hey, Alfred." Barbara said as she walked into the kitchen, grabbing a cookie and leaned over the kitchen island. She crunched on the cookie thoughtfully, her mind not actually listening to Alfred's rambling.

"Hello, Miss Gordon. If you and Master Richard are going to be staying for dinner, I do wish you wouldn't eat any cookies." He frowned at her, realizing she wasn't listening. "Miss Gordon?"

"Sorry, Alfred, just thinking." She said. She had her own frown, but it was gone in almost a split second. She smiled warmly at the old Englishman, hoping he hadn't seen her frown.

But she was forgetting, this man _raised the Batman._

"Something troubling you, Miss Gordon?" he asked quizzically, continuing to sweep the tile floors of the kitchen.

"How do you do that, Alfred?" Barbara asked, smiling sincerely this time.

"Lots of practice." He said, looking up and returning the smile. "Now, what's troubling you?"

"You remember the Joker thing?" she asked. He froze, not looking up at her. Not moving at all, actually. She wondered if she'd frightened him into a heart attack.

"How could I forget…" he said, his voice too quiet for Barbara's ears. He looked up at her, his frown so deep she was afraid it would be permanent. "What about it?"

"Um.. has there been any… _recent_ sightings of Joker?" she hesitated this time, the intense gaze from the butler making her uncomfortable. It wasn't the same glare he'd give her and Dick when he'd find them making a mess of 'his freshly cleaned living room' or pigging out on junk food after school rather than waiting for supper. This look was… scared.

She had scared Alfred.

Dear God, that was a one of the 7 Deadly Sins, wasn't it?

Well, it should be. One doesn't just _scare_ the butler of the entire Bat-family. He'd raised almost every member, including Bruce, who was arguably the scariest. Alfred had seen it all twice, and Barbara had just _scared_ him.

"Not that I'm aware of, Miss Gordon." Alfred said, still not shifting his gaze. "You do realize that speaking of that event could set some members of this household off?" he asked, looking anxiously around for Dick.

"Why else would I bring it up, Alfred?" she asked, sending him a slight glare of her own. "I was there too, if your memory serves you right."

"Of course I remember that. But why bring it up now?" he asked, biting his lower lip nervously.

Oh God, now he was _nervous. Nervous and scared._ Barbara was going to die. This is how Barbara Gordon dies.

"So no one ever found him?" she asked, now seriously frightened herself.

"Well, no, but-"

"But?" Barbara interrupted. "How can there be a 'but'? Batman found him or he didn't."

Alfred glared at her, that same glare she was used to. It gave her comfort in an odd sort of way. "If you wouldn't interrupt you would know." He scoffed, sticking his nose up in a very 'Englishman' type of way.

"I'm sorry, Alfred. You were saying?" she recited the apology by heart, having been saying it since she was about ten. A small smirk played at her lips, as Alfred continued his statement. _Just like old times. _

"I was saying: No one ever found him, but Master Bruce certainly never stopped looking."

**DUN DUN DUN! I added Jason, just like every other author on here. He may or may not be a significant part of the story. Depends on your reviews. **

**So, that leads me to my question I guess…**

**QUESTION TIME! If you want Jason to be a significant character, put it in a review along with your thoughts on the story. If you want Mystery Character to be a part of the story, put it in a review along with your thoughts on the story. **

**It's like a poll, but not really! :D **

**So, rather long chapter if I do say so myself. Over 2k words. Go me? I thought so. But yes, if Jason isn't a significant part of the story, I do have a back up character to do the roll I originally had for our little outcast. I have to say, I haven't planned this out as well as I thought I had. I will make it more of a people's story though, so it's like you vote or not as to what you want. So be sure to read the AN's for any possible polls, such as that one ^^^**

**REVIEW! **

**~Charlie~**


	4. Chapter 4 Nice Legs, Barbie

**Hey guys! So, I've decided Fridays are annual Charlie update days! **

**Now I have an entire week to fix a chapter rather than a couple hours before I go to bed. XD **

**Aren't you guys proud of me? Because if you're not, I'm slightly offended. **

**Anyways, I got mostly Jason votes for last chapter. I'll still add Mystery Character, later. And Mystery Character won't be nearly as big as Jason will be, but she'll be in there. A little. **

**This chapter, this is the most important part, I'll be gracing you with the gift of my infamous flashbacks! So don't be confused when they pop up. It will be in italics. The difference between the thoughts and the flashbacks is that the flashbacks will be in paragraph form and longer. **

**I know, stupid long Author's Note. But sadly, I'm also famous for those. Forgive me, and enjoy! **

_His hair danced around his face slightly as the breeze drifted by. His legs dangled over the side of the mountain, kicking away at nothing. _

_Artemis had never seen the Boy Wonder so depressed. _

_She had never known how strong his connection to Batman was, how much it would hurt Robin to see Batman hurt. It was astonishing, appalling, mind blowing. _

_She couldn't think of a way to describe it. When Batman hurt, Robin hurt. When Robin hurt, the person who hurt Robin hurt. It was remarkable._

_The blonde archer sat down next to the fragile boy. She wasn't complaining, it was one of the first times he'd left Batman's side in the two weeks since he'd come back with the cure. He wouldn't even indulge Black Canary in her little 'therapy sessions'. He kept saying, 'I want to be here when he wakes up.'_

"_Hey," she said, gazing out over the ocean water that lapped lazily at the edge of the mountain. _

"_Hey." He replied, squinting, as though looking for something important on the horizon. His feet kicked against the edge of the mountain the two sat on. _

"_Why are you out here, Robin?" she asked, curious._

"_Hospital rooms get kind of boring to look at, after a while." He responded, smirking slightly. But his features quickly returned to grim, his smile fading into the pale skin. "I'm beginning to question whether Batman will wake up at all, anymore." _

_Artemis punched his arm. She wasn't being playful; she wanted it to hurt a little, so the tiny feeling of satisfaction in the pit of her stomach when he rubbed his arm and said 'Ow' was almost enough to make her laugh._

_Almost._

"_Don't talk like that." She ordered. She didn't look at him anymore, but returning her gaze to the ocean, the breeze gently pulling her hair over her shoulder. Now was one of those rare occasions when her golden locks were not pulled back into a tight pony tail. She couldn't pull it back much anymore, she had bruises and healing wounds all over her head. Harley really worked her over. _

_He was quiet for a moment, as her words processed in his mind. Not his brain, his brain had processed it long ago. His mind though, the part of him that held his emotions, was still working on it. To him, there was a distinct difference._

"_I know," he said, his voice a little shakier than before. "But, it's so hard to keep waiting." She looked at him now, but he was avoiding her gaze. She didn't know what to say. She'd never comforted someone, let alone someone as strong as Robin. _

"_I know," she said, draping her arm around his shoulders and pulling him close to her. She felt a few tears stain her shirt, and could feel his body trembling. _

Gasping, Artemis sat up in bed, looking through the darkness around her bedroom.

She unclenched her fists, slowly releasing the bed sheets that she had bunched up in the firm grasp of her sweaty palms. Slowly, she reached up to touch her face, realizing it was tear stained.

"Babe?" _Wally._ She thought, realizing her boyfriend had probably been awakened from her loud awakening. _Or the insane thrashing I was probably doing._ She thought, inwardly sighing.

"I'm okay. I'm fine." She reassured him, sniffling and wiping away the quickly drying tears. She felt his gentle hands snake their way around her shoulders and his lips softly caress her neck.

"What was it?" he asked, pausing, looking up at her, his bright green eyes glowing in the darkness like shining emeralds. She sighed, looking away from his intense gaze.

"I think you should call Dick." She whispered, closing her eyes as his hands rubbed her shoulders.

"Why?" he asked, the old high-pitched voice he'd had when they were young and immature coming out again.

"Something's up with him," she said. "I can feel it."

Dick awakened on Sunday morning to the rain, gently tapping his window, and the beckoning aroma of bacon. He shuffled in his sheets, tempted by the sizzling sound of bacon, the promise of a day off work, and the thought of Barbara cooking for him. But his eye lids were so heavy, his limbs so tired.

He'd spent a good deal of time yesterday arguing with Jason, to which they still hadn't reached a technical agreement, although he knew Jason would 'help' no matter what he said. After that, it'd been a pretty quiet night. He had no idea why he was _so_ _exhausted_.

Slightly reluctantly, he threw his bare legs over the side of the bed, out of the warmth of his sheets. The sudden cold air didn't bother him much; as temperatures rarely did anymore (he'd worked in some of the harshest weathers in the world, after all). He began rubbing his face in an attempt to wake himself up more, before getting up and straightening his boxers.

Upon entering the kitchen, he saw Barbara, her slightly messy morning hair falling over her face as she danced around the kitchen with the radio on. She was wearing on his shirts, a pink button-up one that he generally wore under a vest or jacket.

He smirked, cherishing moments like this. He almost didn't want to interrupt her dancing and bad singing of "You're Gonna Go Far Kid". _Almost._

"Having fun?" he asked, leaning over the bar that separated the kitchen and living room in his large apartment. She stopped, smiling at her best friend.

"No. This is the worst moment of my life." She flashed him one her famous Babs-like-smirks, one that was cunning, mischievous, and sly all at the same time.

"I-" Dick started, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Jason Todd hated rat dogs.

Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Yorkies, Shih Tzus; he hated them all. They were so small, they could barely count as dogs.

And right now, Dick's neighbor's little rodent was glaring at him. Who keeps a dog outside the door anyway? This is Bludhaven! Surely, someone could just take the dog, or kill it. Jason certainly wouldn't mind.

_Where the hell is Dick?_

He shook out his damp hair, the grey streak surrounded by ebony falling in front of his bright blue eyes. He didn't really know why he was here. It had started raining and he needed a place to crash until it let up was the excuse he was going with.

"Jason?" Dick asked. Jason snapped his attention away from the tiny, four-legged demon he'd been staring at and looked at his adoptive brother, and it was priceless.

Dick was wearing nothing but his boxers, and he had obviously just woken up. His hair was a mess, little strands going everywhere. Behind him was Jason's favorite redhead, wearing one of Dick's shirts. _Just_ one of Dick's shirts. _Priceless._

"Hate to crash, Dickie, but…." Jason started, entering the apartment. He paused, pretending to have a huge realization before smirking at Barbara. "Wait, no I don't. Hey Barbie, what's shakin'?"

He plopped down on the couch, putting his booted feet up on the fancy, glass coffee table, knowing how much it would annoy Dick. He'd spent too much time with Alfred as a kid.

He sniffed the air, the beautiful aroma of fried pork drifting to his nostrils. "Hey, who made bacon?" he asked, putting his feet up before flipping over the back of the couch in an acrobatic way. As he stuck the landing, he inwardly cheered for himself. _Beat that, Grayson._ **(1)**

He smirked at himself before running to the kitchen and grabbing some bacon.

"Jason, what the hell?!" Barbara asked. Her face was contorted in a mix of anger and confusion, possibly angry because she was confused. Jason didn't know, and honestly didn't care. "I thought you died!" she was screaming now, pacing around the couch.

"Did the Bat-clan not tell you about our little _Maniac Jason_ experience?" Jason asked. "It was quite the party, Dickie was there, Bruce-y was there, Timmy was there too! I must've forgotten your invite." He rolled his eyes back up into his skull, as though trying to remember something, before shrugging defiantly. "Sorry."

"Dick!?" Barbara turned to the raven-haired man. _Fuck you too, Jay._ He thought sourly, sending the new-comer quite the Bat-glare. Jason shrugged, a silent laugh falling from his bacon-filled mouth.

"Uhm.. Babs… I'll explain later. Jason, why the hell are you here?"

"It's cold in the rain." Jason whined. He looked at Dick with that look he used to give him when he was a kid, his eyes bright and pleading. Dick had never been able to resist that look.

"That's a pretty small annoyance compared to coming back from the dead." Dick shot back, clearly not amused.

"Well, it annoys me, and I'm staying here till it's over. Don't worry, I'm low maintenance." He reassured when he saw Barbara's face. Barbara had never much liked Jason, and no matter what look he gave her she would kick him out in a flash. That didn't mean he'd leave, but he'd much rather stay where he was welcome.

"Dick?" She asked, looking over at him, as though waiting for confirmation that he was okay with this. She put one hand on her hip as the other angrily gestured towards the undead teenager in a damp, leather jacket. "Are you seriously going to let him just walk in? After everything?!"

Dick looked at Jason, and back at Barbara. "Jay can stay in the guest bedroom for a while, if he needs to. It's downstairs anyway." He said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. Jason smirked, finding him victorious against Barbara. "It shouldn't bother us that he's here."

He went and collapsed again on the couch in a full body comfort position that one usually only used at home rather than in someone else's house. But here he was, sprawled out on Dick's couch.

Barbara stood, shocked that Dick was even considering, let alone _allowing_, Jason to barge in on their life. "Seriously, Dick?" she asked, completely bemused.

Jason leaned forward, until he was approximately five inches from Barbie's face. Her anger was radiating off of her, her brows knit together and an angry frown deep set in her features. She had both hands propped on her hips and she leaned slightly forward, taking five inches down to three.

"What?" she asked after a moment of staring into his blue eyes, blue eyes that almost matched Dick's in color, but they weren't familiar to her in the way Dick's were. And she didn't like them nearly as much as she liked Dick's.

She watched his eyes travel up and down her body, and his smirk grew wider. She could feel his smart-ass level trump her own by far, but she was nowhere near backing down. She was used to matching Dick or Artemis on a smart ass-level, but she'd never been beaten by anyone but Jason.

"Nice legs." He said, winking at her, and watching the sudden realization that she wasn't wearing pants spread on her face and her mad dash up the stairs.

"I'm taking a shower!" she called, informing Dick. "Going to try and wash your brother's eyes off me!"

"He's not my brother!" Jay called, rather offended by her comment. He waited a moment, before a smirk returned to his features as he faced Dick again. "So, are you tapping that yet?"

**(1)- I picture Jason as always trying to one up Dick, by doing things such as trying to prove he's more acrobatic than him, a better fighter, more stealthy, etc. So, when Jason is there, and he flips off the back of the couch, he feels like a total badass and is all **_**beat that, Grayson.**_** So, yeah. **

**REVIEW ANSWERS! :**

**undecidable: No, they are just kind of friends with benefits at this point. Everyone knows they're dating, but they won't admit it to themselves. Kind of confusing, I know. By the way, loved your review. Please, continue to tell me how to make this story better. I really want it to be more in depth and complex. :) **

**kuromi123: I will do Jason! Hah. That's why I added Jason in the first place! Great minds think alike. ;) **

**Blue Torpedo: Me too! Jason is such a bad ass, I really hope I got his character right. I've only actually read him in Battle of the Cowl, and Under the Red Hood. I'm kind of nervous about it :/**

**READINGhearts17: I also love twisty stories! And I will put the Mystery Character in, just barely though. **

**Mockingjay013: THANK YOU SO MUCH! That seriously made my day. I really appreciate it, no joke. **

**Lakeshine: I did, thanks for your vote! :D **

**GwenuitHolland: It's okay, I haven't read many of the comics either. Shame on my part, I've only read the character wiki's on just about every Batman Character there is. Because I can't afford comic books because I'm too lazy to get a job. But, I'm trying excrutiatingly hard to stay in character, and I greatly appreciate your review :) **

**QUESTION OF THE UPDATE:**

**Not technically a question, but review me your ideas as to what you think the Joker's favor is going to be. Also, if you wouldn't mind letting me know if I'm in character for Jason or not I would really love you forever. THANKS! **

**REVIEW! :D **

**~Charlie~**


	5. Chapter 5 Cat Hunting In The City

**HAPPY FRIDAY! :D **

**I'm a happy person, despite the large welt that my father left on my arm. We got into a towel whipping fight…. He won. Not cool -_- **

**I don't mean to sound all rude and stuff, but I got 91 views last chapter. Which, don't get me wrong, is freaking awesome. But only four reviews… I'm not going to lie, I don't want flames, but constructive criticism if you didn't like it or compliments if you did! Please, I actually read them all and use the advice others give me. Seriously. **

**So, Mystery Character finally makes an appearance! Aren't you excited?! You should be. **

**Well, this AN is already too long, so,… ENJOY! :D**

The Gotham wind was so familiar as it caressed over his Kevlar covered body, brushing his ebony hair away from his masked eyes. He squinted, leaning over the edge of the gargoyle he was perched on, searching.

His companion was growing restless, the leather of his jacket flapping loudly in the wind. His own eyes squinted, annoyed at how long it was taking. His hair was hidden away beneath the protection of a scarlet helmet. He leaned down next to the first, hoping to find her first.

"We won't find her up here." He said; irritation in his voice.

"God, Jason. Were you like this on patrol with Bruce?" Nightwing asked, shifting his body to look Jason in the eye. The only one who knew of Jason's presence so far was Babs, and that's how it should stay.

"As if you weren't." Jason smirked underneath his mask. "Alfred told me all sorts of stories about you when you were younger." He straightened out, turning away from his adoptive brother.

"Fine, _'Red Hood'_," Nightwing said angrily, following the younger 'vigilante', and smirking quietly to himself at the alias Jason had chosen. "How do _YOU_ propose we find her?" He crossed his arms expectantly, looking at the leather clad hero.

That is, if Jason could even be considered a hero.

Jason turned around, playing with one of the many knives he kept on his person when he went out as the Red Hood. His twirled it between his fingers, watching with amusement as it spun in his grip.

"I have connections, Blue Bird." He said, carelessly tossing the knife in the air, catching it by the tip of the blade, and twirling it again. "I could know where she is in ten minutes." He tossed the knife and caught it by the handle, snapping his head to glare at Nightwing and completely freezing.

Dick was skeptical, eyeing Jason through the white slits in his mask. He could picture the smirk on Jason's face, despite the obstruction of the boy's helmet. He watched the other slide the knife back into its holster on his waist.

"Fine." Nightwing said reluctantly, running his gloved fingertips through his messy hair. "Go find her."

The streets were damp, the presence of rainfall still lingering in the polluted air of Gotham City. In the darkest alleyway, a puddle splashed as an old, worn out boot slammed into it before it's wearer sprinted on.

His breath came out in white wisps before he ran through them, his eyes wide in fear. He looked back, paranoia getting the best of him.

While his eyes were busy searching the turf behind him for his pursuer, his feet stumbled on a pot hole in the asphalt. His body made a distinctive cracking sound as it thudded against the streets.

Before he could even begin to try and get back up, he felt her whip twine around his ankles as he was yanked towards the distinctive sound of high heels on asphalt.

He desperately tried to grab onto something, to stop his unwilling approach.

"You know, Bernie," she said, pulling the whip tighter. Her voice was smooth and seductive, spilling from her lips like bitter sweet honey. "It would be a lot easier for you to just give it back."

"I don't have it anymore!" he cried, his voice slightly distracted as he struggled to untangle himself from the tight grasp of her whip. "I told you, I sold it!"

"Sold it, to who?!" she asked, her voice suddenly oozing with enough venom to down an obese whale. She kicked him, sending his body spiraling sideways so she could slam her heeled boot down on his chest.

This quickly ended when a bat-a-rang wedged itself into the ground next to her, surprising her and causing her to lose her balance. The whip loosened around the thug's ankles, and he took this opportunity to scram, running away from the woman who would probably kill him without the information she wanted.

"I thought you were out of town, Batman." She said, a sly smile curling her cheeks up. She flipped up, and sashayed back over to the bat-a-rang. Purposely being as seductive as possible, she bent over, feeling eyes on her ass as she plopped the small device out of the ground.

"You could say that." Her smile almost dissipated, as she realized it wasn't the Bat she'd been craving lately. She stood back up, twirling the bat-a-rang in between her leather clad fingers. "I do need a favor though."

Turning around, she flicked her wrist, wrapping the whip back up and hanging it at her side. Her emerald eyes examined the famous bat-tool in her hands before she glanced at the duo before her.

"Well, if it isn't the first two children of the Bat-clan." She said, swinging her hips and crossing her arms.

"Selina," Nightwing said, taking a small step towards her. "We need your help."

She smirked, the dark hair poking out behind the leather Catwoman cowl, surrounding her jade orbs. The dim light in the alley was intensified on the shiny leather her outfit was made out of, an outfit that clung to her and enhanced every curve and arch along her entire body.

"I have been known to be very… helpful to the big, bad bat." She said, sashaying closer to Nightwing, swaying her hips, watching his face remain straight and watching Red Hood's masked eyes watch her every move. Her smirk grew, purely out of confidence.

"You've certainly gotten him off our backs a time or two." Jason said, mimicking Nightwing's pose and crossing his own arms. He ignored the older vigilante's glare, leaving his eyes glued to the cat burglar's swaying hips.

Selina Kyle was now within inches of Dick's masculine chest. She pressed the bat-a-rang into it, tracing the bird with it.

"And what can I do for you boys today?" she asked, getting on her toes, getting so close to the original Boy Wonder's face that she could feel his minty breath cascade down her cheeks.

Nightwing squinted his eyes, looking down on Catwoman's face. Her eyes sparkled with lust, twinkling clearly in the shade of the alley.

"Where's the Joker?" he asked, his voice hard. He'd hoped sounding like Bruce would convince her to spill.

Her brow furrowed, though her smirk remained, her lips shining in a glossy sheen in the gloom of night time Gotham. Confusion sparked in her jaded eyes, flashing so briefly only a Bat-kid could've noticed.

"Why would you want to know where the clown is?" she asked, licking her lips after the words left. She could feel Jason's eyes on her, which only intensified her focus on Dick. "Last I heard you and him had a bit of a rough play date."

"It _wasn't_ a play date." Dick said harshly, his growl coming from deep in his stomach as the memories momentarily flooded back, blocking his vision of the feisty cat before him and replacing it with the feeling of loss and pain, the look in his leader's silver eyes as he watched the life fade away…

"Woah, down boy. Just stating a rumor." Selina laughed, watching Nightwing's features harden. She turned, prancing seductively away from the nearly-grown man. "Speaking of rumors," she said, not looking over her shoulder. "I heard _he's_ looking for _you._ Why would that be?" she suddenly turned around, her whip already in her hand and wrapped tightly around Jason's left ankle. She pulled him down, and before he could recuperate she heavily landed on his chest, her knees pressing firmly down on his wrists.

"Selina, what the-" Nightwing started, running to get her off of him.

But before he could do so, she pulled out Red Hood's knife, and pressed it into his throat, just beneath the helmet.

"You wanna know where Joker is don't you?" she asked, her smirk completely gone, wiped clean from her smooth features. "I heard he's been having Harley stock up on ammunition, hoarding it down in some old warehouse on the South side of Gotham. But, you want my advice?"

She glanced back down at Jason, who hadn't struggled at all since she slammed him down. She fingered his helmet, before sliding it off his head and looking at his masked eyes. She could see how forced his smirk was, she'd spent years learning to read Bruce.

"Don't go, kid." She whispered, before untangling her whip, latching it onto a fire escape of one of the surrounding buildings, and leaping away, all with a flick of the wrist.

Jason recovered his footing, before patting his pockets quickly. He looked back up at where she'd disappeared to, anger clouding his face. "That bitch took my-,"

Suddenly, a knife whizzed by Jason's head, missing by a mere inch at most, and stuck itself firmly in the ground, the blade making a whirring noise as it shook in the crack it'd just created. Dick couldn't help a large grin cross his face as he watched Jason jump slightly before angrily picking up the dagger and storming away.

**Ha! I bet you thought you were gonna hear Joker's request this chapter! I fooled you! **

**Seriously, sorry. I'll post it… eventually. Don't quit on the story, because it's coming soon. Either next chapter or the one after. **

**REVIEW ANSWERS! **

**READINGhearts17: Me too! I thought it would fit the moment. Haha. Yeah, I picture Jason as a little bit of a player… **

**Yuna Kimitachi: YOU ARE MY NEW FAVORITE PERSON IN THE WORLD. Seriously, no joke. You reviewed all of my stories, and I'll have you know I had to help my uncle move that day, and due to your kind reviews I had a fantastic day. So thank you :D Although, no. I have no clue as to what word you're talking about. Not even gonna lie about it. And, as a response to your review on Obsession, yes. I would greatly enjoy talking to you about stuff. PM me XD **

**Mockingjay013: Thanks, I tried to make it funny XD Yeah, I thought it was like Jason was a total bad ass and didn't care about things and Tim was the super mega nerd who knew just about everything. **

**Masqueraded Angel: Thanks! I appreciate your comments :D **

**UPDATE QUESTION!: **

**Would you rather see a Nightwing movie, or a fourth Batman movie? Obviously not in the Dark Knight trilogy, but you get my point. ALSO! Would you rather see Nightwing find Harley, or Joker, or both? **

**REVIEW KINDLY**

**~Charlie**


	6. Chapter 6 The Ware House

**Wow! I have had a busy week. Honestly, the only reason I'm updating right now is because I promised I would every Friday. I'm tired and I haven't worked on this at all literally all week. So don't be mad if it's not up to par or anything, because it's…. bleh. It's just bleh. **

**BY THE WAY! Due to the EXTREME excitement I am feeling for the premier (WHICH IS FLIPPING TOMORROW!) I may or may not update tomorrow. I am doing something, so I might not, but I will most certainly try my hardest. It'll be a end of hiatus special… maybe. :D **

The warehouse district of Bludhaven was filthy, just like it was in Gotham. The streets were littered with women in skimpy clothes and slime bags looking to sell drugs. Not to mention the _actual_ streets, which were covered in a grimy, unidentifiable surface. Probably years of dried blood that had never been successfully clean.

It was the last place Barbara had expected Dick to be, and she certainly didn't expect him to be with Jason. Then again, she could've sworn Jason was dead last time she checked.

The breeze was so slight it could barely rustle Barbara's fiery red hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders, although it was just enough to bring the horrid stench of dirt, garbage, and blood to her nose.

And when you're a bat kid, who has trained her senses to be almost Kryptonian, that sort of thing could really bother you.

She tried to ignore it, keeping her equally trained eyes on the red and blue clad figures in front of her, sneaking their way through the streets. So far, Batgirl had no clue why they were here. But she was going to find out.

As she watched them sneak out of the shadows, from behind her own little shadow space, she tensed, her muscles ready and willing to move out of the uncomfortable position she'd been in for about a half an hour. Stupid Dick and his _'precautions'_.

Every now and then, she'd heard them mumbling, but could never make out the words. Mostly, they just used angry gestures with each other, and Barbara could very clearly understand those.

Over all other emotions Barbara was feeling right now, she was precariously amazed. She had never shared the dynamic with Dick that Jason had. Their own was one that could easily rival Dick and Bruce's. When Dick would move, Jason would move to fit into Dick's motions, working around his older brother.

Barbara was almost a little jealous of the unspoken relationship.

She'd always known that no matter what Dick said, he loved Jason just like he loved Bruce. It was one of those unspoken relationships that Dick was particularly good at. And after watching the duo all night, her implications had been proven.

She grinned slightly to herself, watching both Bat-boys disappear into a warehouse. Barbara didn't know what it was about the Bat clan, but they all seemed to have nice asses. She even thought her own was rather nice, especially when wearing the tight-fitting Kevlar of her Batgirl costume.

As the warehouse door closed, she stealthily jumped from the shadows, following the pair inside and quickly launching herself up to the rafters. Crouching and trying to balance her weight between a rusty pipe and a creaky rafter, she followed them from above.

Her green eyes searched the entire warehouse. It was the fourth one they'd been to that night. Whatever, or _whoever,_ it was they were looking for, was very well hidden.

Barbara wriggled her body, snaking and contorting through the dark and dusty shadows so that she could remain on the tails of the two she was following. Following, because she refused to admit that what she was doing could be considered spying, or (even worse) stalking.

She lightly tapped her com unit in a previously agreed pattern; Morse code, to be exact. Barbara had been seriously surprised to find that one of her partners did in fact know the secret code.

The series of dots and dashes Barbara sent were nearly silent, and unless Dick was on his com, which Barbara had already discovered he wasn't (dumb ass), he would have no idea what Barbara had said. Jason didn't even _have_ a Bat clan communicator.

'_Guys, they're in the warehouse. Move in.'_ Morse code style.

***********I FIGURED OUT MY LINES DON'T WORK SO I TRIED THIS INSTEAD***************

All the previous warehouses had been total busts, and Jason was beginning to wonder if Catwoman had lied to keep Dick off the trail. Selina would definitely do that. She was all about the whole 'cat and mouse' thing. Kind of ironic really.

The Red Hood's muscles were tense, expecting to be in the presence of the lunatic who murdered him put him on edge. Weird, right?

There was an echo, a creak that carried throughout the large room of the empty warehouse. It bounced off the concrete walls and floor as though it was the only noise. Jason caught Dick glaring at him, to which Jason responded with a small wave of his arms, as if pleading his innocence.

The room they'd entered was big, long, and empty. There weren't any doors, excluding the one they'd come in from. It was dark, several empty light sockets lining the ceiling. Dick began walking around, his Eskrima sticks out and his body tense.

Jason mimicked his posture, only in a more… fun way. He began pacing the length of the warehouse, his favorite knife in one hand and one of his guns in the other. He was walking in a sort of crouch, his frame low to the ground and his muscles tensed until the blood vessels were nearly popped.

The silence was back, echoeing through the room and buzzing in Jason's ears. One didn't think someone who had been dead for quite some time would mind the silence, but Jason was extremely tired of hearing that excuse.

'You were dead, that shouldn't bother you.' Jason had heard that _SO_ many times from Kori and Roy while they'd been running around as the 'Outsiders'. Kori hadn't said it nearly as often as Roy, but it still got old. Really quick.

The silence could still pound into his head, and buzz in his ears in that really annoying way. Despite spending several nights in the dead quiet of Gotham shadows, and even more training with the League of Shadows after that, Jason couldn't stand silence. When he was in his civilian clothes, he always had his ear buds in, drowning out the silence.

But now, there was something wrong with this silence. Something breaking through it, ruining the horrid mess that was quiet. He paused, knowing the noise was familiar but couldn't quite place it.

"Red?" Nightwing asked, looking over at the leather clad hero. He began backing towards him, watching all directions. He was so much like Bruce sometimes it sickened Jason. "Everything okay?"

"Shut up, Winged Nut." Jason hissed, trying his hardest to listen, straining his ears to a painful extent. "Do you hear that?"

Dick listened for a moment, not moving and fully prepared to battle should he need to. His arms were raised with his Eskrima sticks poised as if he would spontaneously need to hit someone in the face with one. To Jason, it looked like he was pulling a couple of kiddie toys out because someone on the play ground stole his lunch money. It was hard to believe Jason was partially _raised _by this guy, sometimes.

"Yeah," Dick finally said, looking around, searching for the source of the noise that violated the silence that Jason hated so much. "Is your communicator on?"

"I don't carry a communicator, idiot." Jason said, thrusting his knife into its holster, but spinning the gun around his finger like most assassins do.

He waited a moment more, listening. The high pitched rhythm was so faint, Jason could barely hear it. It was so familiar, as if he should know it but he didn't. It was frustrating.

But then it hit him, and Dick watched in confusion as the whites of Jason's eyes widened exponentially. He opened his mouth to ask the undead vigilante what he'd just realized, but Jason's scream cut him off.

"Shit!" he screamed, grabbing Dicks wrist and yanking the older behind him as he made a mad dash for the door that was now approximately three hundred yards away. Just then, the beeping halted and the building was engulfed in a fiery cloud of an explosion.

**Ha! Cliff Hanger… I haven't done one of those in a while I don't think. Oh well. Deal with it.**

**REVIEW RESPONSES!**

**Masqueraded Angel: Ha! That would be one of the best movies ever…**

**Mixxi: I quite like that idea… I just might use that. And I wouldn't say the mastermind, but definitely more involved. **

**Lakeshine: I would totally see a Nightwing movie. Opening night, at midnight, I might even cosplay. I have never cosplayed, and I would totally do it. **

**READINGhearts17: I thought I would be cute and funny in the end since I kind of made the rest of the chapter all serious and junk. **

**GwenuitHolland: Thanks! I appreciate it :D **

**Undecidable: OH MY GOD ME TOO! And thanks! I tried hard on Catwoman, it was kind of difficult to balance the serious tone and the playfulness that IS Catwoman. And Shhhhh…. I don't accept spoilers from my readers. ;) **

**Yuna Kimitachi: Yeah! Me too. Only if they don't' totally ruin Dick Grayson. I hate it when they make movies on really cool characters and then they totally and completely ruin it. UGH. And.. uhm yes! I love how you love my stories, yet give me actual opinions. Please, PM me. I'm looking forward to conversing with you! :D **

**THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE RESPONCES! I love you all. :D **

**REVIEW QUESTION:**

**Totally unrelated to comics at all, but tell me which of the listed bands you prefer: Metallica, Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Foo Fighters, or other? I'm having a debate with my friends… pardon my randomness. I'll have a better question next update. Maybe. **

**READ ON!**

**~Charlie~**


	7. Chapter 7 The Package

**OH MY FREAKING GOD. OH MY FREAKING GOD! **

**There was Arsenal and then Speedy and HOLY CRAP JASON TODD! I already knew Jason was canon but it doesn't make me feel any less surprised. I SERIOUSLY HAD A PANIC ATTACK! Major freaking out. If I knew how to type a fangirl scream, this would be it. However, since I don't, I'm going to make my attempt the line breaker. Don't judge me, I'm way overly excited. **

**AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHH!**

Rubble littered the now empty lot of land where a warehouse once stood. Chunks of broken walls and piping covered the barely conscious heroes, some already trying to get up, some groaning in pain and rubbing their injured body parts.

Jason groaned, trying to throw a huge chunk of concrete off his abdomen. He could already tell he had a broken rib or two, and God knows what other injuries. His red helmet was cracked down the side of the face, revealing the dark red domino mask he wore underneath, for occasions just like this. The color of the mask matched the blood that slowly trickled out of his mouth, down his chin and was making its way down his neck. 

He finally managed to lift the rubble, wincing at the pain that spiked up his side. Without moving further, he reached back and unlatched his helmet, ripping it off his face. He could hear Dick, already up and moving around.

"Nightwing!" he called, realizing his left ankle was painfully wedged in a crevice with more pressure than he'd like. "A little help." He leaned forward, fighting back the wince of pain, and trying to untangle his ankle without moving his leg.

The shuffling in the debris stopped, and a muffled gasp could be heard from where Jason was pinned. "Jason…"

_Shit._

Jason turned around, ignoring his ribs and his ankle, and quickly regretting that he ignored the injured limbs. He reached over, clutching at his injured side and realizing he had a sprained wrist too.

Great.

The man before him had really grown up since Jason 'left' the team. For starters, his freckles were gone, and childish joy in his eyes was gone too. Jason considered that a plus, considering he'd never much liked Wally. The speedster had a habit of annoying the absolute hell out of him.

"Hey, Wally. Mind giving me a hand?" he called, motioning the red-head over. "How's Artemis anyway?"

Wally just stared, his eyes wide in shock. He was wearing his Kid Flash outfit, which Jason thought kind of strange considering Wally had just quit when Jason died.

"Jason… you're alive!" Wally said, his voice shaking. He looked around, his jaded gaze frantically searching for Nightwing. "Jason, you're not dead!"

"I'm not?!" Jason said, patting his chest as though this was a shock to him. "Woah, where the hell did my coffin go?!" he shouted, looking around. He smirked at Wally, shifting back into a slightly more comfortable position. "Seriously though, help me."

Wally was still in his trance, confused about why the hell there was a dead guy talking to him. Was he crazy? Was he dreaming? Where were Dick? Or Babs? Or Artemis?!

"Damn it, Wally." Jason muttered. "Never mind, I'll do it myself. Christ, think you could stop staring?"

Jason struggled with the slab of concrete while Wally found Barbara, who was angrily mumbling that he help her up.

Jason finally wrenched himself free of the monstrous grip of the debris, limping over to where Wally was helping Barbara to stand. "Oh so you help _her_ up." He muttered, limping past them.

Dick was unconscious, only his hand showing from beneath a huge slab of concrete. Jason's favorite blonde archer was furiously trying to lift it, and Jason was loving the view of her ass in those green tights…

"Need some help, Blondie?" he asked, coming up behind her. She had lifted the slab about two inches, and the shock of his voice made her drop it right back down. "Nice one." He commented, crossing his arms gently, avoiding the suspected broken ribs.

"Jason?" She said, without turning around to face him. Her shoulders were absolutely rigid, and he could just imagine that her eyes were closed and she was biting her lower lip.

"In the flesh." He responded, smirking at the irony of his own words. He uncrossed his arms, moving to begin lifting the slab again after Artemis crudely dropped it on Nightwing's unconscious body.

He could feel the ribs jingle around in his body, shaking against his struggled breath as he used all his strength to lift the rubble. Artemis, suddenly jolted out of her stupor, lurched forward to help him, the combined power of the two practically throwing the slab off of him.

Nightwing's body was surprisingly unharmed, only a blow to his forehead and a bruise on his cheek showing that he had even been in an explosion.

_Lucky bastard._ Jason thought, thinking of his own injuries. He knelt down, slapping Dick's face gently at first, then roughly. What did Jason care if the blue bird got a bruise?

When Nightwing still didn't awaken, Jason stood up. He turned around, watching the others make sure they were okay, and then he saw it.

A flash of color, black and red prancing around and watching the group. Just as he saw it, it disappeared, the figure within the suit hiding behind a piece of wall that hadn't fallen.

Jason felt his muscles tense. Maybe Catwoman _had_ known what she'd been talking about.

He ignored the stares from the other three as he checked to make sure his weapons were still intact. He glanced at his broken helmet lying in the rubble longingly before striding off towards the hiding figure.

He felt the eyes of two former heroes following him, and he could just barely hear Barbie following him. Her cape billowed in the wind and he knew that is was her. But he didn't care, and all these observations were made subconsciously as he angrily made his way over.

"Harley." He growled, kicking the wall down with ease, watching as Harley Quinn, the Joker's girlfriend, jumped out of the way in order to avoid the falling wall.

Jason pulled out one of his many hidden guns, immediately pulling off the safety, cocking it, and pointing it right at Harley's forehead.

"Give me one good reason not to blow your brains out." He ordered, his voice coming out as though he'd just gargled razor blades. He couldn't help how his upper lips raised in a ferocious snarl, looking at the girl feigning innocence.

"Woah, there Bird Brain!" she said, raising her hands in a surrendering fashion, leaning away from the gun aimed at her. "Be careful with that!"

"You have thirty seconds." he said.

"Red!" Barbara shouted behind him, reaching her arms around him and trying to grab the gun. He shoved his elbow into her stomach, ignoring his burning chest and screaming ankle.

"Where. Is. Joker?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at her and taking a step closer.

Harley gulped, taking a step backward. Jason almost fired right then, out of pure disgust. But suddenly a whip reached down and grabbed the gun out of his hand. He looked up, ready to burst, to find a cat perched atop a fragment of the building still standing, smirking down at him.

"Calm down, Red Hood. Speaking of which, where's your little hood?" Selina said with a smirk, gracefully flipping off the building fragments and landing in between Jason and Harley. She'd already dismounted Jason's gun, and she tossed the remaining parts at him.

"Seriously, Bird Boy." Harley said, glad to see Catwoman defending her. "You blew up Mr. J's ammunition and you're mad at _me?!_" she scoffed, as though she'd never seen more rude behavior.

Jason was puzzled, and he took a moment to ponder this.

"We didn't set that bomb off…" he whispered, turning around and seeing Wally and Artemis talking to a now conscious Dick. It looked like they were arguing.

"What?" Catwoman asked, leaning forward as though she didn't hear him.

Jason already had another gun in one hand and a knife in the other as he began to walk away. He shifted his head and called back to Selina over his shoulder.

"We didn't set that bomb off."

**AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ********FANGIRL SCREAM**************

The air was musty, ashes filling the sky and falling back to the earth slowly, almost like snow fall. There was a fire about ten yards to his left, and for some reason he opened his eyes to see Wally and Artemis staring after Batgirl and Red Hood who were talking to Catwoman and Harley Quinn.

_Jeez, how long have I been out?_ Dick thought, sitting up and rubbing around his forehead, searching for the source of the massive head ache he felt.

He apparently made some sort of noise when he moved, because Artemis turned around and faced him. Her eyes widened at him, and she began mouthing words.

Dick could barely hear her, as though there was something obstructing her voice. He squinted at her, his vision becoming a little fuzzy. He was used to this, the side effects of waking up after taking an unpleasant hit to the head.

He rubbed his head again, closing his eyes and groaning. He put his hand up, motioning for her to stop talking until he could understand her.

"Artemis, hold on." He said. He put his palms on his closed eyes, rubbing them furiously. "Okay," he said when his head was clearer. "Start over."

By now, Wally was looking at him too, an unamused look plastered on his face. In fact, he looked downright pissed off.

"Why is Jason here?!" she shouted, waving her arms, exasperated. "Jason is dead! Jason can't be here if he's dead! Is he a clone, like Roy and Conner?! Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Artemis!" Nightwing shouted, silencing the archer. She stared at him, her stormy grey eyes burning with anger. "I'm sorry! No one was supposed to find out!"

From next to Artemis, about three feet away from Dick, Wally snorted. His arms were crossed over his chest, his angry eyes staring at Dick in his drowsy state.

"No one was supposed to know a lot of things, Dick." He scoffed, leaning forward without uncrossing his arms.

Dick was silent, but the silence only lasted a moment before Jason walked over, quickly followed by a fuming Batgirl, Catwoman, and Harley.

"Nightwing," he started, reaching down and helping the older hero up. Nightwing noticed Jason wince, and the extremely brief flash of pain that crossed his unhidden features. Where was his helmet? "Harley and Joker didn't set the bomb."

"What?!" he shouted. "Then who did?!" he sent a fierce, well-practiced glare Harley's direction, who winced despite having not actually been hit.

"Don't look at me, I was just supposed to give you a message." She said, ducking behind Catwoman.

"What message?" Dick growled, tempted to lunge at her.

"Mr. J said to give you this." She said, handing him a small, wooden box. It was practically sealed shut, and wrapped tightly in green and purple ribbons. Dick hesitated, slowly reaching for the box.

As soon as his fingers had a firm grip on it, Harley presented a wicked smile, a dainty wave, and then pranced away. She jumped through the rubble, flipping and cart wheeling away from the group.

"Don't open it till you get home, Blue Bird!" she called, just before she disappeared in a cloud of ash and smoke.

**AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! ********FANGIRL SCREAM**************

**Okay, this chapter is kind of everywhere. Don't you look at me! **

**Anywho, it was a super bitch to write, so just kind of be glad I wrote it at all. I hope it being extra long will make up for it's blehhh-ness. **

**By the way, am I the only one who laughed my ass off at Mini-Roy's attitude towards Ollie and Big-Roy when they questioned him on the mustache and the sidekicks? I certainly hope not. I also certainly hope I'm not the only one who thought Mini-Roy was kind of an ass to Ollie. But hey, I SAW JASON TODD! I forgive Greg for every wrong doing he has ever done. Because I saw Jason Todd. **

**AND Bit Roy in civies! Am I the only one who freaked out about that too? Please say no. HOLY CRAP this episode was soooo much better than Misplaced in my opinion. Sorry, but I really didn't like that much. ALSO! Does anyone know who Rocket is marrying? OH MY GOD this episode gave me so many feels. SOOOO many feels. **

**By the way, Conner apparently has a new love interest. And she kind of looks like him, what with the dark hair and bright blue eyes. Good. I get tired of seeing him be mad about M'gann, despite how funny it was. I'm drabbling, but I don't mind because the episode was THAT awesome! Oh my god I can't believe the hiatus is over. Joygasm. No joke. **

****REVIEW ANSWERS!****

**GwenuitHolland: Thanks! Sometimes it's very difficult, and results in mucky chapters, just like this one. :/ and dude, your musical choices are literally mine exactly. Although, Breaking Benjamin is by far my favorite band. Metallica and Three Days Grace are tied for second. **

**Lakeshine: Ha! My friend told me I should be a 'slutty Batgirl' and I was just like…. No. -_-**

**Obiwan1022: I'm sorry! I hate cliffhangers too… as a reader. XD As an author, they are my best friend. Not even gonna lie about it. And thank you. I had a serious freak out and have now watched the episode four times. So it's okay to spazz about it. **

**READINGhearts17: Me too! I spend my entire morning out of the house and I was about to kill someone. Well worth it, if I might add. No worries. I'm not going to kill anyone…. YET! ;D **

****UPDATE QUESTION!****

**What was everyone's favorite part of the episode? Which sounds like a total kindergarten teacher question, but I'm honestly curious. I would be everyone five bucks people on my Tumblr are flipping out. I haven't checked it in a week, I've been pretty busy. XD **

**REVIEW KINDLY!**

**~Charlie~**


	8. Chapter 8 Tension Rises

**Okay…. This is awkward… but I'm going to say it anyway.**

**I would like to apologize for my serious fangirling last chapter…. I realize it made that last author's note super long and although I doubt many read it, I am definitely sorry. XP **

**Okay…. Don't judge me, but this chapter is going to be kind of a filler. Another filler, I should say. I realize it sucks and it's no fun to read, but it's no fun to write either, so I don't wanna hear it. It is necessary and you will deal with it. :P **

**ENJOY!**

********************************LINE BREAKER**************************************

Tim Drake was a happy kid.

Really, you could ask anyone. He was smart, and kind of nerdy, but he was a generally happy kid. Despite the heaping amounts of loss he'd been through in his short life.

But upon entering the Batcave, he could tell something was wrong. For example, Jason Todd was _not_ supposed to be in the cave, Batman's orders. _He is to be considered a danger at all times, and not to be allowed in the cave._ Bruce's words were so firm it was like he'd engraved them into Tim's mind with a rock chisel.

Yet here he was, along with Dick, Barbara, Artemis, and Wally. They all seemed calm (ish) about the fact that someone who had repeatedly tried to kill them all was just lounging in Bruce's chair. (Dick said that was Jason's favorite spot, because he knew it was Bruce's spot.)

He crouched, hoping no one had seen him enter and that he could maybe hear small parts of their conversation, a conversation obviously not meant for anyone's ears. No one was allowed in the Batcave. No one on the team, no one in the League. No one.

"Main priority is to find who set that bomb. It could be the Light's mysterious partner." Dick said, his Nightwing authority coming out clear as day.

Tim could hear Jason snort. "What about where that maniac is hiding?" He asked, his voice lighthearted and distracted. _Distracting himself, probably._ Tim thought, although he didn't dwell on it, as the heroes below him continued to talk.

"Veto." Artemis said, propping a hand on her hip and glaring at Jason. "Main priority is to explain to me why the hell he is alive."

"We've already explained it three times!" Jason groaned, shoving the palms of his hands into his eyes and ruffling his own hair.

"Well, do it again." Artemis growled through gritted teeth, her patience waning.

"Joker killed me, Ra's revived me, poof. Here I am." He muttered, as though it were the simplest thing in the world. He removed his hands from his eyes, waving them around in the air as though he were explaining something incredibly simple to a hard-headed child.

Artemis sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"We should've never let Harley get away." Barbara said, stepping between the fuming archer and Jason, who was smirking at Artemis, enjoying her anger.

"Well, she did." Wally said, subconsciously stepping closer to Artemis' side. "Now how are we supposed to find her?"

"I doubt Catwoman will tell us again." Dick said, running a hand through his hair. He looked tired, a frown set deeply in the lines of his forehead and big bags that hung loosely under his shining blue eyes. He even walked sluggish, his back slightly more hunched than usual and his steps dragging slightly.

_He probably hasn't slept in a while._ Tim thought, taking the pause in conversation as an advantage to process everything so far. _Depending on how long Jason's been back._

His mind wandered back to his first encounter with the fallen Robin. Before then, he'd only heard stories from Dick and Barbara, and occasionally Alfred. Bruce never spoke of him. Dick had always spoken kind words of him, saying he was rebellious but had good intentions. Barbara the same, that he was stubborn and a smart-ass, but loveable all the same. Alfred had said he was the messiest of all the children Bruce had taken in, and the biggest trouble maker.

But none had said he'd come back to life.

Jason had first met Tim, unbeknownst to the new Boy Wonder, as the Red Hood, parading around Gotham, ironically looking for Nightwing. When he'd found Robin instead, they'd engaged in a long battle, ending in Jason shooting Tim's right shoulder and almost his head, if Dick hadn't come in to save him.

Tim had known immediately that it was Jason at that point, if he hadn't already known from observing the battle style that almost matched Dick's (but not nearly as acrobatic and carefree). Nightwing had looked at the Red Hood in the way only an older brother can look at a younger brother.

After that, Tim blacked out. But Nightwing said Jason wanted to 'deliver a message' to him. He hadn't said much more, and neither had told Bruce that it was Jason who had shot Tim.

"What about that Dent guy?" Wally asked, leaning back on the computer, next to Artemis and Dick. He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing at Dick to gauge his reaction to his suggestion.

Dick and Barbara pondered this, both probably thinking the same thing. Hell, even Jason was probably thinking the same thing, because Tim sure as hell was.

_Why didn't I think of that?_

Dent would be perfect. Past encounters with the Clown gang lead by the Clown Prince of Crime himself left a bad taste in Harvey's mouth, making him almost willing to give any and all information on Joker's whereabouts. Although, Harvey didn't want the Bats to _know_ how badly he wanted to give up the Joker.

"Two-Face could do," Dick said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, a habit he'd picked up from Bruce, and Tim had picked up from him. "I have been meaning to talk to him anyway. Word on the street is he's been handling a few drug exchanges from _inside_ Arkham."

"Question." Artemis said, sarcastically raising her hand. She pointed a finger at Dick, as though he was the teacher of their makeshift study group. "What exactly are we going to do when we find the Joker?" she said.

Tim had to admit, he'd been wondering that himself.

"Kill him." Jason said, his voice growing hard and deadly, as his left hand subconsciously reached to where Tim guessed he had a concealed weapon of some sort, a gun most likely.

"What?" Artemis practically shouted. "Since when do you kill?" she was no longer relaxed on the computer, but standing up and leaning slightly towards Jason, who reclined comfortably in Bruce's chair.

"Since I came back to life. I thought we'd been over this?"

"No," Dick said bluntly, shooting a well-practiced Bat-glare Jason's way, who merely shrugged in response. "We are _**not**_ killing him."

"Why are you looking for Joker?" Tim asked, making everyone, including Dick and Jason, jump in shock. Tim had been right in assuming that none of them knew that he was there. He inwardly smirked at his own stealth abilities, proud that he'd been able to sneak up on the two oldest Bat-children.

He strode towards the group, tossing his back-pack in the direction of the glass case that held Jason's old uniform, watching as the unmasked vigilante noticeably winced. Dick stared at him, resembling Bruce, now more than ever. His stoic expression almost sent a shiver down Tim's spine.

"Tim, this doesn't concern you." Barbara said, stepping towards the newest Robin and attempting to usher him back towards the stairs he'd just come from.

Ignoring her, Tim continued his prodding. "I thought he was AWOL since that mission gone wrong?"

"A bad play date, as Selina so delicately put it." Jason smirked, closing his eyes and rolling his head back. He rested his hands on his forehead, clearly enjoying the angered look the four older heroes were giving him.

"Shut up, Jason." Dick said, shifting his glare from Jason to the stoic expression for Tim. "Tim, we're not looking for Joker."

"Then why is Jason going to kill him?"

"Revenge is so sweet."

"Shut up, Jason."

"Answer me, Dick."

"Tim, just go eat some of Alfred's cookies or something."

"Yeah, Tim. Let the big kids handle Joker."

"Shut up, Jason!"

"So you _are_ looking for Joker!"

"Tim, go upstairs!"

"Wouldn't want another baby getting hurt, would you Dick?"

"SHUT UP, JASON!" Dick was fuming at this point, Jason sitting up and leaning on his knees, smirking at the older boy. Dick's fists were clenched at his side, he took a threatening step towards Jason.

The other three heroes were preoccupied, remembering the horrors of that whole experience. Tim seemed to be the only one who was still thinking rationally, and could clearly see the impending battle between the adopted brothers.

"What's wrong, Dickie bird? Bad memories coming back?" Jason stood up, taking his brother's challenge and stepping within an inch of Dick. "Why? It's not like he _killed_ you."

Dick swung his clenched fist towards Jason's awaiting jaw, years upon years of practiced precision in his punch. He'd predicted Jason's dodge correctly, and adjusted his hit accordingly.

Jason's head sprung sideways like a ragdoll, his arms becoming uncrossed as his body lurched to follow his head. He immediately put a hand up to his jaw, attempting to recuperate, and glared up at Dick.

Tim could briefly see a flash of anger in his bright blue eyes, he could see that pump of adrenaline flow through Jason's body as he glared through his black and white hair. It was something he'd seen often in Bruce's eyes, especially when someone mentioned the Joker. It was anger that Bruce had learned to control, but obviously Jason had not.

Quickly, Jason was swinging at Dick, the two forgetting about all their training and fighting more like a couple of school boys. Dick somehow managed to flip-kick Jason onto the ground, straddling his chest and punching his face.

Tim hurriedly tried to break the fight up as Jason gained the upper hand by grabbing Dick's ear and pulling it hard enough to emit a small yelp of pain and force Dick to roll onto his side. Before Jason could make another move, Tim stepped in between them, kicking Jason in the chest and knocking him to the ground.

"Guys!" Wally shouted above the ruckus. He and Artemis were holding hands now, and he glared at all three Bat-children.

_What did I do?_ Tim thought.

**********************************LINE BREAKERS***********************************

"Wally?" Artemis asked, completely unfocused on her Human Anatomy homework that was just begging her to procrastinate. She looked up at the speedster, who sat folded up on the chair next to the couch.

He let out a small laugh, tossing his pencil over his shoulder and shutting his book. "You can't focus either?" he asked, a smile playing at his lips.

"Not a chance." She replied, smirking and closing her own book. She leaned forward from her laying place on the couch, placing the book by her feet on the other cushion.

Her smile quickly faded, the events she couldn't get off her mind returning.

They sat in a moment of silence, both thinking the same thing. _What do we do?_

"So…" Artemis began, biting her lower lip and leaning forward, folding her legs up to her chest and resting her arms on her knees. "What do you think?"

Wally looked at her, that serious look in his eyes that he had more often lately than he ever had before. It was the look he gave her when he had to face a problem, one that required him to be serious.

"I think we need to help." He said, running a pale hand through his fiery hair. "In any way we can."

"Well, duh." She said, smirking slightly. "I meant how."

"Nightwing said we should just keep Tim busy." Wally said. "He _really_ doesn't want him to get involved."

"Yeah, but that's the kind of job someone who can't do much more can do." Artemis said, looking at Wally as though she couldn't believe he'd just suggested they actually listen. "I mean, we didn't listen to Batman when he was leader of the Team, why should we listen to Dick now?"

Wally smirked slightly at his girlfriend's antics. It was a half-hearted smile, and there was a hint of frustration in it, but it still counted. "Good point, babe." He said, moving to sit on the couch with her. She leaned her body into him, allowing him to drape his arm around her shoulders and place a gentle kiss on her scalp.

"That's the only kind of points I have." She laughed quietly into his side, greatly accepting his heat. "So, you want to find Joker, or you want to find Harley?" she asked, looking up at his distracted green eyes as they gazed away from her, and off into the distance instead.

"I think finding Harley would lead to Joker."

**********************************LINE BREAKER************************************

"Hey, Blue Jay." Jason asked, walking up to Dick. He was sitting in his old bedroom at the Manor, one that Alfred had never changed. Just like how Alfred had never changed Jason's room.

He hung over the bed, in the mostly dark room. Barbara was in there too. She kneeled on the bed next to him, her hand placed gently on his shoulder. Both turned their head ever so slightly to look at him, but other than that, barely acknowledged his presence.

Jason couldn't see what Dick had in his hands, but he could make a pretty good guess.

Jason stood in the doorway, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. He averted his azure gaze away from the two forms on the bed, before looking back at them and speaking his thoughts.

"It's Joker's box, isn't it?" he asked, stepping inside slightly.

Dick sighed, turning his head slightly. "I didn't want to open it in front of Tim, or the others." Barbara rubbed his shoulder gently, comfortingly. Jason couldn't help the pang of jealousy that he felt in the pit of his stomach.

"Have you opened it yet?" he asked, ignoring the two's obvious friendship moment, hoping that maybe he can be a part of his own little moment.

"No." Barbara said, her voice soft, for once. She'd only been genuinely kind to Jason once or twice that he remembered. It still felt strange to him.

"Mind if I watch?"

Neither responded for a minute. They seemed to have a silent conversation, one that completely defied the psychic link. And brought another pang of jealousy to Jason's stomach, one that he ignored.

"Shut the door." Dick muttered, patting the bed on his other side. Jason did as instructed, for once in his life, and shut the door, leaving the room in nearly complete darkness. "And turn the lights up." Dick asked, before Jason sat down.

He did this also, gently pushing the dimmer switch up about half way, filling the room with enough light to not miss a single detail.

Dick, Barbara, and Jason all looked at each other before simultaneously sighing, silently urging Dick to open the lid.

Instead, he fingered the lock, slowly untying the ribbons as the metal lock clicked. The small _ching_ that sounded as the lock slid into the unlocked position let Dick know this was real. Any doubt he'd had before evaporated, especially when he saw the contents of the box.

A small, silver fish lay within the box. There were no wounds, it's scales completely unmarred. There was no blood, only a fish nailed to the inside of the lid of the box by its fins. Although, it was clearly dead.

_Suffocation._ Dick thought, a small shiver traveling up his spine. Right under the fish, a small note written in red 'ink' lay crumpled.

"Oh… God…" Barbara muttered, her hand going to her mouth in shock. She was trying her best to hold back the bile that was rising. Dick looked away, handing the box to Jason in a disgusted manner.

Jason squinted, his grey streak falling annoyingly into his eyes. He reached into the box and picked up the note, reading it out loud to his comrades.

"Still waiting. –Uncle J."

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**Okay. That's all for tonight. Just rewatched the episode from last week, and realized a couple things. 1, did anyone else think Big Roy's hands were kind of…. I don't know… huge? Just my thoughts. 2, Little Roy is so …. LITTLE! It is just so adorable! And 3, I think Jade's face is kind of strange when it zooms in and she scrunches it all up. Not thte artwork or anything, I love the artwork. I just think she looks older than she is. Which is reasonable I guess…. **

**ANYWAY, I'm not doing Review answers this week because I'm lazy and tired and kind of want to go to bed. :( But I will give you a question.**

*****REVIEW QUESTION:*** Should I change my update day from Friday to Saturday or Sunday? Because, 1, I think it would be much easier to write for me. And 2, It would definitely get me past my writer's block, and blah blah blah. But, thirdly, because people get way more excited about the fandoms right after a new episode. So, review or PM your answers. Pretty Please. **

**By the way, don't be mad because it's so late, because this chapter is extremely long. Well, not extremely, but still, longer than usual. Anyway, Don't judge me. Now, hope you enjoyed. Review your answers, because I'm going to take them into some serious consideration. **

**REVIEW KINDLY!**

_**~Charlie~**_

**EDIT: I just realized I never posted the seventh chapter, so I'll do that now... Don't judge me... **


	9. Chapter 9 Split Up

**Okay, I'm a day late, but I have not only **_**a**_** good excuse, but **_**TWO**_** good excuses! **

**I spent last night at the fair with my boyfriend, who is going to meet my parents today and now I'm kind of scared. :/ **

**I decided to move the update day to Saturdays! Because I can, I don't want to hear it. I stated my reasons last chapter. So blehh. **

**Anyway, here's the update I suppose.**

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"Look, kid," a leather clad teenager kneeled before a trembling scumbag in one of the darkest alleys in Gotham. "I don't even know why you're trying anymore, if I don't kill you, Dent will." He knelt down, resting his forearm on his knee with his scarlet helmet in the thug's face, his wrist hanging limply with his favorite gun cocked and ready.

"I-I-I already told you, man!" he stuttered, frantically looking around, for once in his life praying that one of the Bats would show up. "I don't know where he is!"

The Red Hood chuckled softly to himself, his tone sarcastic. "You see, kid," he said, waving the gun around carelessly. He suddenly stopped laughing and stared at the frightened man sitting before him. He fired the gun off, deliberately aiming next to his head. The shot made the man wince, and his trembling increased to all out shaking, his arms going around his head as though it would protect him from the wrath of the Red Hood. "I can tell you're lying."

The man cowered before the masked vigilante, curling himself up into a ball. "I can't tell you!" he screamed, not daring to look at the teen before him who, ironically, kept calling him 'kid'.

"So you do know?" Red Hood asked, looking at him through the narrowed white of his helmet. "That means you lied to me, and I don't know if you've heard, but I hate liars." He shifted the gun in his hand so it was aimed at the thug's chest.

"No! Well, yes, but-" he rambled on until Jason stopped him, grabbing his wrists and prying them away from his face. He dragged him up the wall, holding his hands away from his shoulders. He jerked back, pinning the man to the wall with six batarangs, three in each sleeve.

"Just tell me where he is, and I'll never bother you again." Jason said, aiming for the heart again. "You won't hear from me for the rest of your pathetic little life."

The man struggled against his restraints, pulling his arms fruitlessly in an attempt to escape. His eyes were wide with fear, the whites strained with veins. After finding his attempts pointless, he looked up at Jason, seemingly ready to give up what the vigilante wanted.

"Harvey wouldn't tell us where he's been hiding. He knew you vigilante types would be onto him soon enough." The man seemed to be vomiting words, letting them spill out of his mouth. "Only Ricky knows where he is."

Red Hood seemed to contemplate this, putting the tip of the gun up to the chin of his helmet. "Where can I find this Ricky person?" he asked, no longer pointing the gun at the captured informant.

"I don't know that either." He said, looking away and rather guilty with himself. "He always called us when he wanted to meet." He was from Brooklyn, his accent coming through thicker as he started to mumble more and more. "I have the phone he gave us, I can give it to you if you let me go."

"You see, Jimmy," Jason said, smirking at the name he made up for the man. "If he was stupid enough to give you a phone, he was stupid enough to know one of the Bats would find it." He aimed the gun again, tensing his finger around the trigger.

"You're not a Bat!" the guy shouted, leaning forward and starting to struggle again. He looked around. Jason was surprised he didn't cry out for help. "Bats don't kill people!"

Without another word, Jason squeezed the trigger, the click of metal and the loud _bang_ of the gun powder firing filling the musty air of the alley way. Jason watched the body stuck to the bricks become limp, fresh blood leaking out of a fresh hole in his left breast.

Jason snorted, disgust thick in his breath. He quickly searched the man's leather jacket (which was old and worn, not nearly as cool as his) for the supposed cell phone which someone named Ricky would be calling at one point or another.

Before turning to leave, he glanced at the dead man' face, noticing how his eyes were still open, searching the afterlife for help that would never come. He laughed silently to himself.

"Blue Bird's preoccupied tonight, and the Bat wouldn't have saved you anyway." He whispered into the dark. He turned up the collar of his own leather jacket, put his gun away, and crept out of the alley under the reliable cover of the shadows.

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Jason skulked through the warehouse, his handgun cocked and ready. He'd seen Wing-Nut running around twice already, searching for the Red Hood, and had already almost gotten busted once.

Sometimes, Jason seriously underestimated the oldest Robin.

This warehouse was not like the other, the one that was now a disintegrating pile of ash. This one was stacked full of crates, almost to the ceiling. There were small aisles, that were slowly being filled with more crates. The aisles were just long enough to allow a forklift through, and provided the perfect cover for Jason to maneuver around.

He crept around the corner, keeping to the inside wall and stealthily jumping from shadow to shadow. He wasn't alone. There was a faint noise guiding him from the back of the warehouse.

Laughter.

Unmistakable, crazy, psychotic laughter. But it was strained, as though just the mere thought of if caused him pain. Jason tried to suppress the memories as he continued on, true to his mission and his cause.

He finally came to the clown's throne, a pile of crates spray painted in purple and green in giant smiles and various _Ha'_s. He raised the gun, not planning to show himself until the psychopath was wounded and on the ground, bleeding to death at his feet.

Revenge was the game, but Jason preferred to call it common courtesy. _I'll do what him what he did to me._

He had just aimed the gun for Joker's knee, where it would possibly paralyze him for life. He took a steady breath in, allowing his arm to quit shaking quite so rapidly. His finger tensed around the trigger, feeling the smooth metal against his gloved fingertips.

_**BAM!**_ Something big hit him in the back of the head, hard enough to shatter the helmet he wore. Or at least, a part of it. Half still remained on his face, and now half his face just felt naked.

He collided with the cold concrete, his jaw slamming down on his tongue. The metallic taste of blood filled his mouth, and he spit violently in an effort not to choke on his own blood.

His vision blurred, and he could scarcely feel the gun fall out of his hands and skid a few yards away from him. He tried to reach out for it, but he felt another collision with a foreign object and his spine.

Jason cried out in pain, arching his back in a fruitless attempt to numb his now aching back. He rolled over on his side, and could barely make out Harley Quinn, standing over him with a giant, wooden mallet.

The only noise he could hear was the blood rushing through his ears and the laughter that apparently played on repeat in his brain. He saw her lift the mallet to swing again, and he weakly tried to kick her feet out from under her, but something stopped her.

Her head jerked to the side, her jester's hat swinging with it. She lit up like an Independence Day firework special, and out of the corner of his vision, he could make out pasty white skin and green hair before everything went black.

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"Are you two ever going to leave me alone?" Tim asked annoyingly as he sat in the kitchen, trying to do his homework. Artemis and Barbara had been staring at him whilst munching on _his_ study cookies for the past half hour.

"No." Barbara replied, smirking slightly. "Get used to it." Artemis smirked too, leaning over the island to get closer to Tim.

"We've got all night, Bird Boy." She said, taking another bit of a perfectly good cookie. Alfred made them for _him._ Not his baby sitters, who had been either self-appointed, or Dick told them to. Probably the latter.

"Christ, I'm going to leave it alone." Tim said, giving up momentarily on his homework. "Would you guys just leave _me_ alone? I can't study with you staring at me like that."

Artemis and Barbara looked at each other, smirks still playing at each of their plump lips before both burst into laughter and simply leaned closer to Tim.

"Yeah, sure." Barbara said between her giggles. "As if we didn't think you'd say that."

Tim sighed, trying his best to ignore the two laughing girls and focus on his homework. He'd find a way to escape, he'd promised himself that much.

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All was quiet, the air still and the scent of ash still stinking up the whole block. The warehouse district. Dick had followed Jason's signal here, before the line went dead.

That was thirty minutes ago.

Dick furrowed his brow in frustration, finally understanding what his friends went through when he decided to just vanish. It was rather annoying.

He inwardly sighed, feeling a small burst of wind press against his armor. He looked at the spandex clad hero next to him, who had just broken the sound barrier without even breaking a sweat.

Wally was chewing on a power bar, staring off into the distance as though he expected Jason to just jump up and say 'Got you guys!"

Wally glanced at his own friend, who stared out over the bay as though nothing else mattered to him. The speedster knew how hard it had hit Dick when Jason had died, The poor kid blamed himself, for no apparent reason too. It had practically torn the whole Bat-clan up.

He placed a hand on Dick's shoulder, tempted to say something, but unsure of what. Instead, the two continued on, leaving the warehouse graveyard that was once a building behind. It was hard to believe that the pile of dust had once been an entire building.

"So now where?" Wally asked, walking in step with his friend.

"Now, we check the warehouses in Bludhaven." Dick said, turning a street corner before stopping. He gazed up, admiring the stars.

"Dude, what are-," Wally started, but need not ask. Dick pulled out his grapple and fired it off towards the moon, as though hoping to pull it down with him. Before Wally got the chance to move, Dick had an arm wrapped around his waist and they were flying through the air, straight towards a building.

Once they'd both climbed up the small railing on the rooftop, Wally began to straighten his costume. "Why Bludhaven?" he asked, shaking ash out of his fiery hair.

"Jason's favorite Zeta tube in Gotham was located near here, and he spent a majority of his time either patrolling or in my apartment." He explained, trying to explain the best he could. "Odds are, he went there. He had all the codes memorized."

"But why would he go to your apartment?" Wally asked, trying to keep up without using super speed.

"Not my apartment, but Bludhaven in general. After he killed the thug, he probably went looking for either Harvey or Joker" Dick stared ahead, and briefly narrowed his eyes. "Or both."

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**Okay, this chapter was kind of all over the place. I'm very blehh with it. So… yeah. **

**Anyways, yeah. The late update I explained earlier. I'm a bit stressed and don't really feel like responding to the 1 review I got, which reminds me:**

**One review? That makes me a bit sad. If you guys liked the chapter, PLEASE, please, **_**PLEASE**_** tell me what you liked the most. I am seriously trying to make this a better story, but in order to do that I NEED solid feedback. **

**REVIEW QUESTION: How many people are extremely pissed that they didn't air YJ today?! I was absolutely livid. No. They cannot do this to me, after only a few episodes after hiatus and then they just stop?! HELL NO. **

**REVIEW!**

_**~Charlie~**_


	10. Chapter 10 In Trouble

**Happy Saturday! :D **

**Ignoring the lack of YJ episodes this weekend. Ignoring it. I **_**will**_** be happy. See, this is my happy face: :D **** see? SEE?! Totally not freaking out. Not. At. All. **

**Short, and boring, AN. I apologize. ENJOY THE CHAPTER AND TRY TO IGNORE THE LACK OF NEW EPISODES BECAUSE CARTOON NETWORK IS AN ASS HOLE! D: **

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"Hey, Dick?" Robin asked, causing the eldest teen to jump as he had not seen Tim's arrival into his apartment. Dick was upside down on his couch, his hands burrowing into his eye sockets.

"Tim?" Dick asked, confusion morphing his face as he sat up into a proper sitting position. He looked tired, and supposedly his 'partner in crime' had just left. Dick opened his mouth to speak again, but a high-heeled boot poked into his window behind the newest Robin, a full leg coming after before the entire Batgirl was standing in Dick's living room. "Babs?"

"Yeah, I kind of live here too." She said, yanking the cowl off her face as Tim removed his own mask. She moved to stand in front of him, crossing her arms across the bat symbol across her chest. Tim quickly followed, stepping in beside her and crossing his own arms.

_Oh great, I'm in trouble._ Dick thought sarcastically. He inwardly rolled his eyes, looking at his best friend and his most recent replacement. He sighed, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands, and his elbows on his knees.

"Something tells me you guys aren't here for a slumber party." He muttered, fully aware of what they both wanted, but just as unwilling to tell them.

In the dark of the room, one could barely make out Barbara's form, the only exceptions being her pale face and vibrantly red hair. It suited her personality, fierce and fiery. The scent of the rain had wafted through the room, blowing in gently through the window Dick always left open, saying it was how Tim got in when he needed a place to stay.

Robin was no exception, blending in insanely well to the dark. They seemed to meld with it, even when they weren't trying to. His pale face surrounded his piercing blue eyes, boring holes into Dick's defenseless face.

"I think you know very well what we're here for, _Dick._" Barbara hissed, furrowing her bright red eye brows.

_Oh great, I'm in __**a lot**__ of trouble. _Dick inwardly moaned, praying his assumptions were wrong. But they very rarely were.

"You want to know what's going on and why I'm working with Jason again." Dick sighed, burying his face in his palms. He didn't have to look at his companions to know both were nodding.

"I want to know _now_." Barbara stated, relocating her hands to her hips. She narrowed her blue eyes, glaring a hole into Dick's skin.

"I don't see why." Dick countered, standing up from his place. He seemed prepared with a wall of false excuses, small diversions that he'd hoped would keep the two occupied long enough for them to forget about it. He crossed his own arms, glaring back at Barbara.

Barbara furrowed her eye brows at him, taking a small step closer as if daring him to lie to her about this. "Dick, I'm serious." She stated, her tone deadly. And he knew she wasn't going to take any of his pre-prepared bull.

Dick sighed, relaxing and walking around the couch and entering his kitchen. He heard his companions follow him as he opened the refrigerator and pulled out a can of beer. He opened the can, listening to the sizzle of the carbonation leaving the can.

He took a swig, sighing after he swallowed the large gulp and turning to look at his followers. Babs leaned over the island, staring at him. Her eyes were hard, clearly holding back anger.

"Dick," Tim started, his voice high pitched. "Why don't you just tell us?"

Dick sighed, squeezing his eyes shut.

"_So, Joker just __**handed**__ you the anti-dote?" Batgirl asked, skeptically as the two drove their motor cycles towards the Gotham Zeta tube. _

"_Basically." Robin replied shortly, not glancing over at Batgirl. "He said I could have it if I let him get away." _

"_So, you bargained with him?" Batgirl scolded, glancing across the road at her fellow biker, her eyes narrowed behind the helmet and the cowl. _

_**You have no idea…**__ Dick thought, not looking at her. "Not really." He responded. He could feel puzzlement radiate off his friend, forcing him to sigh and reluctantly elaborate. "He pretty much gave me the option and before I had a chance to say yes __**or**__ no, he threw me the antidote and left." _

"_And you didn't chase him, __**WHY?!**__" She asked, waving one hand in the air while holding the handle bars firm with the other. Her voice carried over slightly muffled through the comm. installed in the helmets. Barbara snorted slightly at Dick's sigh, a small smile gracing her lips. _

_She loved to frustrate him sometimes. _

"_Because, Barbara, I had the anti-dote, and Batman doesn't have much time left." Dick said, hoping he sounded convincing, hoping she wouldn't catch on about the __**other**__ part of his deal with the Devil. _

"_Really? That's all Joker wanted from you?" Barbara was still skeptical, her voice dripping with the lack of believing she held. "I'd have figured he would make you squirm a little bit more." _

_Dick had to bite his lip, knowing she couldn't see. He didn't respond for several minutes, his most recent encounter with the Clown Prince of Crime running through his memory as though he was still witnessing it. Only Barbara's shriek brought him back to reality. _

"_**DICK!" **__She cried through the comm., looking in his direction several times while trying to figure out how to stop his bike from swerving too heavily. _

_Robin jerked his hands to the side, sending his bike back towards the middle of the road rather than into the tree he'd been heading for. _

"_Sorry," he mumbled to his companion, still not looking in her direction._

"_Are you sure you're okay?" she asked, glancing at him once more before deciding it wasn't going to help her at all. "You don't have a head injury I can't see or anything, do you?" _

"_I probably do, Babs." He laughed slightly, although it was a fake laugh. "But, I'll manage until we make it back to the Cave." _

"Dick?"

Dick shook his head rapidly, shaking himself out of his little flashback. He realized he was still in his kitchen, a half empty can of beer in his hands and the taste fresh on his tongue. His companions were still waiting for an answer, one he really didn't want to give. "Oh, sorry. Spaced out." He offered as an excuse.

"Dick, are you okay?" Barbara asked, her gaze shifting slightly from angered to concerned. "This isn't really like you…"

"What?" he asked, taking another drink of beer. Barbara reached across the counter and grabbed the can out of his hands, emptying it out in the sink and ignoring his complaints.

"Spacing out, keeping secrets, and drinking beer in your apartment with all the lights off." She said matter-of-factly, crushing the can into a small ball and throwing it at Dick, fighting back the smirk when it hit his forehead.

"Seriously, Dick." Tim stated, crossing his own arms. "You've never liked beer. You said it makes your head fog up." He was also fighting back to urge to laugh at Dick's lack of response to the can to the head.

"Well, now I don't care." He said, shrugging. He found himself reaching behind him to open the refrigerator again, but stopped at Barbara's command, huffing slightly, and leaning against the counter.

"I don't believe that at all." Barbara said.

_Damn._ Dick thought, although he'd known she wouldn't. He'd have been lucky to fool _anyone_ with that excuse. He let a fragment of a sigh escape his lips.

"Look, I just have a lot on my mind. The Team, and the Invasion, and the Joker, and Jason, and-"

"Which we could help you with!" Tim shouted, waving his arms around exasperatedly. "All you have to do is tell us what's going on!"

"I can't just tell you-"

"Why? You told Jason!" Tim, who had begun pacing the living room at this point, shouted. He was still waving his arms, his eyes wide and his eye brows furrowed.

"I didn't tell Jason!" _Liar._

"Then how does he know?" Barbara, who was much calmer than Tim, asked firmly.

"He figured it out, I guess." Dick rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, squirming under the Bat's most recent protégés' magnifying glass. He was feeling much like a frog being dissected in a high school biology class.

"Dick! It is _so_ obvious that you know what's going on! And it's even more obvious that you can't handle it this time!" Barbara shouted, exasperation filling her lungs.

There was a slight pounding from the floor, the downstairs neighbor shouting for them to keep it down. The trio shrugged it off, continuing the argument.

"I'm fine Barbara!" Dick yelled back. "And I don't want you guys involved anyway!" Before he knew what he was doing, he stormed up the stairs, listening as Barbara and Tim followed him.

"This isn't over Dick!" Barbara called, her voice carrying up the stairs and pushing into Dick's ears. "Where are you going!?"

He had reached the bedroom he shared with Barbara by this point, and had begun shuffling through his closet. He changed out of the white tank top he'd been wearing and pulled a baby blue v-neck over his ebony hair, wrapping a white jacket around his shoulders and storming out again. He passed Barbara, who seemed to get more pissed as he ignored her and continued walking.

"Dick!" She cried, grabbing his shoulder and attempting to turn his body. "Where the _hell_ are you going?!"

"Out!" he yelled at her, roughly shoving her hand off his shoulder and shoving his way past the weak blockade Tim had turned himself into at the base of the stairs.

She continued to follow him until he walked out of the apartment, slamming the door behind him. He knew she wouldn't follow; she was dressed as Batgirl, and Tim as Robin. Both seemed to have forgotten the essential tools hidden within their utility belts that could have easily stopped Dick from leaving.

"Excuse me, Richard?" Dick turned, wiping the scowl from his face when he realized it was only Mrs. Brown in apartment B-27. "I heard a ruckus, is everything alright?" She was standing in her door way, a pink night gown handing loosely on her old, frail frame. Her long grey hair was handing in front of her shoulders, and her wrinkled skin set in a concerned frown.

"Yes, Mrs. Brown." Dick smiled politely at her, turning the rest of his body so he didn't look so rude. "Me and Babs just got into an argument again."

"Oh, I hope it wasn't too serious." She said, frowning even more. She glanced down the hall, as though expecting Barbara to come storming out the apartment door searching for Dick. _She probably will, soon. She's got to change first…_ "I love Barbara, and I'd hate for something to happen to you two."

Dick chuckled slightly, turning to leave again. "No, Mrs. Brown. It'll be alright. I'm just going for a walk, that's all."

"Well, don't be out too late." She warned, turning to go back into her apartment. "You know how dangerous it is in Bludhaven at night."

"Only worse in Gotham, ma'am." Dick called as he walked away, a smile still on his lips. "Good night, Mrs. Brown."

"Good night, Mr. Grayson."

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**Okay, so sorry I didn't update yesterday, but I had things going on, I lost a bet. Long story short, I was up until three in the morning convincing my boyfriend I needed to finish this, to which he replied 'it can wait'. **

**So… oops. Anyway, I had a good review question, but I can't remember it. So I'll answer reviews instead. **

**Mockingjay013: thanks! I'm sorry, I've been kind of off my game lately. :( but thanks for commenting! :D **

**READINGhearts17: As previously stated, not on my game. So, please ignore the slight blehhh-ness of my writing as of late, but I still appreciate the review. :D **

**Masqueraded Angel: I found the episode on the internet, but I couldn't find THIS weeks. :(**

**Persistence: Ha! I have something amazing planned for this. *evil grin and laugh* but yeah, I swore a lot too. My parents were like 'Why are you up so early? Shouldn't you be watching cartoons?" and I was like #$& #$%%&# %%^# ! Haha. **

**Yuna Kimitachi: Oh my god. I know! They can't do this to us! It's not fair! It has, you generally tell me your opinions during out PM conversations XD but I still appreciate the review. Haha, giddy? Good. That's what I was going for… a little. XP **

**undecidable: I know! I'm sorry! D: I've just…. I have no excuse. It's just not coming to me like it used to. I sound old right? XD anyway, I appreciate the review and your opinion. Keep it up. :D I AGREE COMPLETELY ABOUT YOUR DEMANDS!**

**Lakeshine: It's okay, you reviewed this chapter! :D ha! I didn't tell you what happened to Jay in this chapter! XD fooled you…**

**GwenuitHolland: Oh that sounds absolutely horrid. I understand though, when I get stressed I generally get sick. D: thanks, by the way. I like to keep variety in my chapters between slow and fast. And don't worry, I call everyone Dude. My parents say I talk like I'm a 'surfer', but you know… whatever. It's not because I think you're a boy, it's just how I talk. XD no worries. **

**BY THE WAY! There is a petition going on to get CN to put DC Nation back on air before January (which is when it'll come back (if it comes back at all, which rumor has it, it won't)). I don't know how many of you have signed it, but I signed it. I don't have a link, but if you have a tumblr or a deviantART you should have heard of it by now…**

**OH I REMEMBER MY QUESTION! Uhm, anyone who is a good artist, could you perhaps think about creating a cover image for me? I would make it myself, but I have the drawing abilities of a blind moose. So, any way that you can get it to me (if you draw it at all WHICH I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DO AND IT WOULD MAKE YOU THE BEST READER EVER) please do. AND I may let the person who draws the cover get a say in what happens in the story, for the small part I don't have planned out yet. So, think about it, try, I will LOVE YOU FOREVER. **

**REVIEW KINDLY!**

_**~Charlie~**_


	11. Chapter 11 Stuck

**Tough week guys… tough week. BRIGHT SIDE! Here's this magical thing called an update that I do every now and then…. **

**By the way, I would like to thank every single reader who has either reviewed, added my story to their favorites/watch, or PM-ed me to inform me that I am a good writer. You guys are awesome, and although I doubt people read my annoying ANs, I just had to say that. You know, just in case. **

**By the way, I finally got a decent cover, thanks to my new favorite artist in the whole world, GwenuitHolland. Awesome artist, awesome person. Made my life. 3 **

**OKAY, on to the story. Because cats. (if you have a Tumblr, you understand…. I hope)**

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Some people say that once you've been hurt a certain way, it doesn't hurt as bad the next time. For example, if you break your arm, and it heals, and you break it the same way again it shouldn't hurt as bad.

Jason Todd would like to firmly disagree.

It was unbelievable how many times he'd been hit in the head with something one should never be hit with. He had suffered broken bones, internal bleeding, crazy gases; had been beaten, bruised, drugged, gassed, killed in an explosion, brought back to life twice. But the pain of waking up after being knocked out from a strong blow to the head never got any more bearable.

He moaned, grudgingly cracking open his eye lids. He could already feel his restraints, his arms tied behind his back and his legs tied together. His jacket had been removed, as had his weapons and his helmet.

_Stupid helmet wouldn't have done me much good anyway, _he thought. _Harley probably shattered the damn thing._

He glanced around his containment area, noting the glass that surrounded the chair he was tied to. He seemed to be elevated off the ground, in a glass ball of sorts. It hovered in the air by a chain attached to the ceiling. Below him was a decorated room, if decorated even classified the area he could see.

Spray paint and ribbons littered the walls and floors of the otherwise empty room. There were green and purple balloons that had huge smiles drawn on them in marker, almost completely covering the floor. Furniture was scarce, only a green, fluffy arm chair and a small, wooden rocking chair. There were two small beds towards the back of the room, one with a giant mallet leaning against the frame and one with a disgusting excuse for a man sitting on the mattress, polishing a crowbar that struck Jason as achingly familiar.

Jason waited a moment, not yet ready to make his consciousness known. His head remained slumped, his hair hanging in front of his masked eyes. His eyes continued to search the room, wondering if they'd disposed of his helmet or if he could still detonate the bomb hidden inside of it.

_If I still even __**have**__ the detonator, _Jason thought crudely. Although, sure enough, Harley entered the room, holding the remains of the bright red helmet under one arm. Two goons in ridiculously done make-up followed her in, quickly leaving her side to go stand by Jason's confinement area. They stared up at him, as though he were an animal in a zoo.

"Mista J!" Harley shouted, her voice whiney and exasperated. Even Joker cringed slightly, although he continued to polish his crow bar. Jason now noticed he wasn't actually _polishing_ it to say, more like just wiping it off for no apparent reason, not bothering to clean off the dark red that was dried blood splatters. _**My**__ blood…_ Jason thought, although he quickly shoved that thought out of his brain.

"Yes, Harley?" Joker asked, glancing up. His voice sounded raspy, and slightly forced. He also seemed more annoyed with Harley than he normally was. Now that he was sitting straighter up, Jason could see that his breathing was fast and shallow. He seemed… strained? Joker was in pain, and Jason couldn't help the small amount of satisfaction that brought him.

"I'm bored!" Harley cried, plopping down on the bed that was assumed to be hers. "When is Fire Head gonna wake up?" she asked, tossing the helmet onto her pillow. She fell backwards, sprawling out on the creaky mattress.

Joker sighed, placing his crowbar down with unusual fondness and tossing his cloth carelessly to the side. He stood, winced, and walked towards Jason's glass cage. A crooked smile lit up Joker's features, his yellow teeth glaring up at Jason from behind his ruby lips. "It seems he's already awake, dear."

Jason scowled, briefly wondering how Joker knew before moving his head to glance at Harley, who was now skipping gleefully over to the rest of the group.

He remained calm, and silent. He merely craned his neck to look from the excited expression on Harley's face, to the completely oblivious goons, to Joker's sickening face. His pasty white skin only emphasized his cracked teeth and messy green hair in a stomach-churning way. His was a face Jason would never forget, no matter how much he wished his nightmares wouldn't be littered with the horrible laugh that was currently bubbling its way out of Joker's throat.

"OH! Can I play with him first, Mista J?!" Harley asked, bouncing so much her head bobbled back and forth on her shoulders.

"No." Joker said, his face shifting from an evil grin to an annoyed scowl.

"Why not?" Jason asked, his voice oozing with hatred. "I'm pretty bored, myself."

"_Don't provoke him." Bruce said, his fists curling angrily around the leather of the steering wheel. A thirteen-year-old Jason Todd sat in the passenger seat, in his very own Robin uniform. He didn't have to wear Dick's old one anymore, as Alfred had put the finishing touches on his last night. _

"_Why not?" Jason asked, leaning back and resting his feet on the dashboard, grumbling quietly to himself when Bruce glared at him, a signal to remove his feet. "If I can play his game and manipulate him, don't you think it would work?" _

"_You can't." Bruce said quickly. "He's a madman who's willing to exploit everything you say, and Harley is a trained psychiatrist. Both are fully capable of using your words against you in the worst possible way." _

"_But-" _

"_Jason," Bruce said, turning to look at his latest protégé. The rugged street boy was still so evident in the boy's features, his expression hard, completely unwilling to let anyone in. He reminded Bruce a little of himself had he not been born into money. "Just don't, please." _

_Jason's features softened a little, hearing the pleading tone in his mentor's voice. He was very sure that he could do it, that he could use his words to manipulate his mentor's foe. But that tone made him think twice on the matter. "Okay, Bruce." Jason promised. Maybe later, when he'd had more training, he would be good enough to take Joker on by himself, just like Dick had done when he was still Robin…_

"Well, if you're bored," Joker's hoarse voice dragged Jason out of his flashback. He shifted his masked gaze back to Joker's disturbing face. "We could always play that game we used to. Back when you were a little bird."

Jason narrowed his eyes, leaning forward in his chair to his arms extent. "Doesn't sound like you're up for that game. What's with the voice?"

As if on cue, Joker burst into a coughing fit, small droplets of blood coating his lips and chin, and several more flying out and crashing to their deaths on the floor. He used the back of his hand to wipe the blood splatters off his face, before glaring back up at Jason, as if he were angry at the teen for being correct.

"You want us to get him down, boss?" one of the goons asked, not taking his eyes off Jason's form, who was still glaring at Joker as though he could make him burst into flames.

Joker seemed to think, his green eyes staring up at Jason, who had yet to struggle against his restraints, something Joker had come to love to watch among the Batman's protégés. He ignored Harley's disappointed expression as he denied the offer.

"No, Judy. **(1)**" Joker said, smiling again. "I need him alive for when the Blue Bird comes."

"Hey!" Jason shouted as the group began to leave. They turned back to look at him, Joker's expression was almost tired, his white skin sagging slightly. Even his eye brows weren't dancing above his blood shot eyes as they normally were, rising and falling with his mood.

"What?" Harley snapped, her own expression one of anger.

"Only _**I **_get to call him Blue Bird." Jason said, his eye brows furrowing above his mask. Joker's smile grew, and he turned again to walk towards the door.

Jason could only make out his strained laugh as he exited the warehouse, Harley and the goons following closely, leaving the undead hero alone with his thoughts. And the main one on his mind seemed to repeat itself.

_Dick, you better hurry your ass up and find me._

**********************************LINE BREAKER!***********************************

The sound of cars whizzing by on the street was excruciating. Dick already had a headache, and the sound of engines buzzing and tires screeching was not helping. He buried his hands in his jacket pockets, and his head deeper into the white hood of his hoodie.

The air was moist, the sky clearing from the rain of the morning. There was a heavy breeze, blowing back Dick's shaggy hair and pushing the scents of his city into his nose. Dick ignored all of that, however, his most recent encounter with Barbara and Tim fresh in his mind.

How could they ask him questions? Couldn't they just leave it alone?

_Don't pretend you didn't expect this from them._ This thought annoyed him more than it should have. He did expect this from them, but he didn't want them involved. Truth be told, he didn't want Jason involved either. Especially Jason, for that matter.

Jason was too close to the situation, and his emotions could cause danger, for himself and everyone else. Dick knew all too well that Jason reacted very horribly to situations that brought forth a lot of emotions. He either shut everyone out and walked away, or he resorted to violence. Neither was a good option in Dick's mind.

Jason shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place, as the vigilante had been missing for two days now. Even for Jason, that was unusual. The mission wasn't over yet, Jason still had a job to do. He wouldn't move one without a seriously good reason, and to Jason, the only reason to leave before a mission was done was a chance to kill the Joker.

Dick turned off the street, entering an alley way that was highly concealed in shadows, hiding himself from the world as he unzipped his jacket and began to remove it. He ignored the frigid air on his bare arms, throwing the jacket over his shoulder and reaching forward to enter the code into the brick wall.

He tapped it multiple times, before it opened, revealing a small doorway, only big enough to fit one at a time. He slipped into the shadow-y room, waiting for the lights to flicker on as the door behind him closed.

A bright white light turned on, revealing a small room packed with extra weapons and two spare costumes. Bruce had helped him install it a few weeks after he'd moved to Bludhaven. Barbara called it the 'Wing Cave' and had no doubt already brought Tim there and checked to see if he had been there yet. That meant they would be looking for Richard Grayson, rather than Nightwing. It proved his safety if he went out in the spandex he bore at night.

He changed quickly, taking to the rooftops to avoid being seen near his hide out.

He could feel his anger evaporate as he flipped through the air, feeling the wind rushing through his ebony locks. Contorting his body in ways normal people couldn't had a soothing effect on him, even stabilizing his heart beat. He was never good at sitting still, and even worse at keeping quiet.

He couldn't help but come to a dead halt when he saw a familiar van. It was no ordinary van, and it had been pretty well hidden. Probably why no one reported sightings of it, because everyone knew what seeing the cursed vehicle meant.

_**Joker was near.**_

It was pasty white, all except the bright red smile that had been sloppily painted on the side. The paint had dripped lazily down the car's exterior before drying, leaving run marks and making the smile appear as though it was bleeding in several places.

Nightwing crouched low on the rooftop, narrowing his eyes. He waited for only five minutes for two huge people that were easily recognizable as Joker's goons came stalking towards the vehicle.

Just as the driver reached toward the door handle, Nightwing's body landed on the roof, denting it slightly. He flipped behind him, effectively knocking the passenger henchman to the ground with a sore jaw in a show of acrobatics. He pulled out his Eskrima sticks as he landed behind the driver, pulling him in close and holding the weapon to his throat. He slammed him against the wall, turning the electricity in his weapon on. **(2)**

"Where's Joker?" Nightwing ground out, his face clenched in a tight glare. The henchman remained silent, his clown makeup showing a false smile that had been hurriedly painted on, and easily run. It was reminiscent of the smile painted onto the van.

The distinct noise of a gun cocking behind him made him tense slightly, estimating his next move. "Put him down, freak."

Nightwing whipped around, holding the huge body of the goon close, pushing harshly on three different pressure points so as to keep the man from trying to escape his hold. He pressed the electric into the man's neck, only briefly. His muscles tensed against Nightwing, the electricity causing him to jerk slightly in the hero's grip.

"You're calling me a freak?" Nightwing laughed a little, though it was forced through his anger. "I'll say it again: Where's Joker?"

"Let him go!" The man holding the gun shouted, his arm outstretched with the weapon in it. Nightwing noticed how it shook slightly, and the small bead of sweat making its way down his forehead. He could feel the driver's heartbeat, quick and erratic. He was fearful his friend would shoot anyway.

"Don't shoot." Nightwing commanded, pressing the stick harder into the goon's throat. "You'll miss by a long shot with that trajectory, letting me walk away without a scratch, but you'll lose your buddy."

The henchman seemed to ponder this, shifting his arm several times before lowering the gun completely. Nightwing smirked, knowing completely well that his trajectory was not actually off, and had he fired Nightwing's brains would be smeared across the brick wall right now.

"One more chance. Where is the Joker?" Nightwing spat out, narrowing his eyes at the goon. He pressed the Eskrima stick further into the man's neck, holding his body still as it jolted against his grasp.

"He-he's in an old warehouse, on the other end of town." The good said, watching wide-eyed as his friend was electrocuted. "We can- we can show you!"

Nightwing smiled, releasing the thug. He fell to the ground, his body jolting violently as the electricity surged through his system. Nightwing had been shocked before, on a much higher voltage. The henchman would be fine. He halted his friend, who moved to help his fallen comrade. It was very rare that a hero came across henchmen who were not only easily tricked, but also friends. Nightwing scoffed a little at the idea, noting how very rare it were that villains were friends when it seemed everyone in the hero world was friends with another hero.

"Let's go." Nightwing said, glaring at the still standing goon as the other stopped convulsing on the ground at his feet. "Now." His words came out as more of an order.

He grabbed the fallen goon's collar, dragging him to the side of the can where he threw him into the back. He slammed the door closed, walking up to the other.

"What's your name?" he asked, pushing the goon against the car. He wasn't asking to be nice, he was asking so he could stop calling him 'the goon.' It got a bit repetitive.

"Judy." The henchman said, fear lacing his face.

Nightwing scoffed, walking over to the wall of the alley way, and aiming his grapple up. "I'll follow, Judy. You go to the warehouse, and don't try to trick me." He narrowed his eyes, firing the gun in his hands. "I'll be _right behind you._"

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**DUN! DUN! DUN! So Nightwing found Joker, without Tim and Babs. Yes. At this point I have almost no clue what I'm doing.**

**JUST KIDDING!**

**Seriously, I'm kidding. **

**Anyway, review answers…. Read them…**

**Lakeshine: I'M SORRY! I gave you Jay-news this chapter though. xD haha. **

**Yuna Kimitachi: Nice use of the word 'whelming.' I like. :P I am glad you are impatient, even though you should know fairly well when I update. :P haha. **

**GwenuitHolland: The action will start soon, no worries. :) and it's perfectly fine, I actually welcome criticism. Feel free to tell me how you think the story would be better. I hope your dizziness is better by the way! D: **

**READINGhearts17: I know! I didn't want to, but I did want to… It's rather tragic…**

**Midnight1906: I have no response to your line…. **

**Undecidable: I certainly hope so! Thank you! :D **

**I have no suitable question… I'm kind of tired and its two in the morning… so shhhh on my lack of questions. Anyway, I was thinking about trying to update maybe twice a week… for damage control. To control the damage that CN caused when they REMOVED YOUNG JUSTICE FOR NO GOD DAMNED REASON.**

**I apologize… sore subject. But yeah, twice a week. Not a promise, but if I have time in my busy schedule of not having a life, I will try to write an extra chapter every week. No promises. **

**REVIEW KINDLY! **

_**~Charlie~**_


	12. Chapter 12 The Favor

**HEY GUYS! I'm unreasonably blehh today. I have shifted moods several times, and I really don't know why. I'm happy now, which is probably going to make writing a difficult chapter relatively difficult, but this one's got some action, so I'll do my best. :) **

**DID YOU HEAR THAT!? **_**SOME**_** action. Don't get your hopes TOO far up. Of all my moods, generous was not one of them. ;) **

**BY THE WAY: I realized I forgot to answer those little number things again last chapter. So I'll do that now. **

– **I named the henchmen Punch and Judy because that's what they were in the TV series called **_**The Batman**_**… I think that's the right series. I've seen just about every batman episode ever, so I get confused. **

– **In the comics, Nightwing has electricity in his Eskrima sticks, and it's never been defined whether he has them in the YJ verse, so I said he did and called it good. **

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It seemed that Tim could never just enjoy a relaxing day at the manor. Never. Not since he'd become Robin, and even before then it was relatively difficult.

Tonight was no different. _Just one night,_ he thought. _Just one night where I can sit on the couch and watch T.V. and pig out on Alfred's cookies and other junk foods he doesn't want me eating._ He inwardly groaned, already hearing the unwanted company's approach.

"Hey, Tim." Artemis greeted casually, plopping down on the couch next to him as Wally made himself at home on his other side. "What are you watching?" she scoffed slightly, arching one eye brow and smirking at him, mocking his choice of entertainment.

"Is this a documentary?" Wally asked, laughing slightly, and draping his arm across the back of the couch.

"Yes," Tim sighed, feigning annoyance about the former heroes shock and disbelief. "It's a documentary covering a murder investigation that went cold a few years back." Tim said, playing the currently paused program and turning the volume up slightly. He took a bite of popcorn from the bowl in his lap, maneuvering his hand out of the way of Wally and Artemis' hands.

Tim, although he'd planned to spend the evening alone for once, didn't mind the company. Although both the heroes had quit the game before he'd joined the Team, Tim had spent many hours in the presence of both the archer and the speedster. He'd gotten to know them mainly in their civilian identities, and had become comfortable having late movie nights with them, during which they generally made fun of his movie selection (documentaries, usually) and challenged him in video games. Despite the fact that neither had been real parts of the Bat Family, Tim considered them like distant relatives, an aunt and uncle, perhaps.

_Oh yeah,_ Tim thought. _Hey Bruce, can I go to Aunt Artemis and Uncle Wally's house?_ He laughed quietly at the conversation he was having with his mentor in his head, not realizing that he had just laughed at a part of the movie that had a particularly disturbing part of the murder case.

Artemis looked at him suspiciously. "Kid," she finally said after observing him, and he could tell she was struggling to keep a straight face. "You're insanely messed up." A small grin finally lit her features, and her eyes sparkled with the good nature of teasing a friend.

Tim, realizing what he had just done, allowed his jaw to hang slightly and his eyes to widen. "Oh! No, that's not what I-… I just… Ugh." He gave up as both Wally and Artemis started cracking up at his awkward struggles.

He reached down to grab more popcorn, realizing Wally had eaten it all. He looked at the speedster, a slight glare in his eyes.

Wally, with a mouthful of popcorn, did not hesitate to defend himself. "Hey! I wouldn't feel the need to eat your food if you would pick a movie that was less boring."

"It's true kid." Artemis said, standing and walking over to the huge flat screen that practically covered the wall. Bruce's TV room truly was amazing. Tim would've _loved_ to grow up here. "You tend to be a total and complete bore." She bent down, browsing the movies that Alfred had learned to keep out since Dick moved in and Jason after him.

"Yeah!" Wally said, leaning forward, having finally swallowed the popcorn. "You're nothing like Dick and Jason. They both loved wrestling and playing extreme hide and seek and watching action movies and playing zombie games with me, Dick more than Jason on that last one." Wally smirked at Tim.

"Speaking of the two idiots," Artemis said, absent mindedly, finally selecting one of Jason's old movies. The plot line, Tim thought, revolved around explosions and sex. Both of which were Jason's forte, Tim supposed. "Where are they tonight? I figured at least Dick would be here."

"Why?" Tim asked, slightly angered at the thought of his older brother being here. The two had not spoken since their little scuffle a few hours ago. Tim was tired, so Barbara had instructed him to go home and take the night off, claiming she would finish up patrol and then meet him at the manor. Tim had just assumed she'd go find Dick anyways. "He doesn't even live in the city anymore."

"Am I detecting slight anger there, Timmy?" Artemis gasped, placing a hand over her heart as she tossed Tim his documentary and played her plot-less, testosterone filled excuse for a film. "There some inter-bat angst going on I should know about?"

Wally walked back into the room now – when had he left? – carrying a bowl of fresh popcorn, most of it already being engulfed. "What happened that we should know about?" he asked around his half chewed snack.

"Dick just refuses to tell me and Babs what the hell is going on with Jason." Tim said, shifting his gaze between the archer and the speedster.

"Language, Master Timothy." Alfred said, strolling by the door way. A small smirk lit Tim's features before he continued.

"We went to squeeze it out of him and he flipped. Batgirl is looking for him now, but she doesn't really know who he is right now." Tim said, watching his companions listen to him.

Then, as if on cue – which seemed to be happening a lot lately, to Tim at least – Barbara walked, well more like rushed, in the door, still wearing her Batgirl get up.

"Guys!" she said, realizing Artemis and Wally were here and briefly wondering why. "I can't find _either of them._" She said, pulling her cowl down. Her cheeks were still rosy from the chills of Bludhaven. "Not Jason or Dick. Apparently, Jason's been missing for a couple of days too."

Wait, what?

"How do you know?" Tim asked, standing from his spots on the couch.

"His bags and stuff," She said, reaching for the remote to turn off the movie that had just started. "They haven't been touched in a few days."

All three looked at her strangely, questioning her reasoning. She shrugged, explaining herself. "The little bastard hid all my pants the other day while I was in the shower, and I had to run around the apartment looking for them for two hours. I was late to work." She grumbled. "I got him back and hid both of his bags on the third floor of the fire escape a couple days ago."

"You think Dick knows?" Artemis questioned, although they all knew the answer. Of course Dick knew. How could he not?

"Probably. My bet is that he's looking for him now, because Jason wouldn't just up and leave, not when they're searching for Joker and he's got a score to settle."

Wally sighed, placing his bowl of popcorn down and walking towards the door, grumbling to himself. "Just when we stopped watching the stupid documentary, too."

Tim sighed too, quickly following Wally as the other two were following him. _Never a relaxing evening. Not. Once._

**********************************LINE BREAKER!***********************************

Jason could hear the door open, and he looked up from trying to slowly wriggle out of his restraints. He knew it was a pointless effort, Joker had been tying up the best escape artists in Gotham since Batman had started out in the hero biz. No way Jason could get out without breaking a few bones, and even if he did his chances were slim.

Although, when he looked up and saw the empty room, he was slightly concerned. _Am I going crazy, because I could've sworn I just heard the door open…_ he thought to himself, glancing around the room, his shaggy hair flailing about.

Suddenly, a thud from above made him jump, shaking his glass compartment and nearly stopping his heart. _Damn it, Dick._

He looked up to see Nightwing grinning down at him, crouched on the upper part of the little ball Jason had started calling home recently. Joker hadn't returned yet, and Jason couldn't help wonder where he went, and when he'd be back. His eyes darted to the door momentarily, then back up at the stupid look on Grayson's face.

"Are you going to smile like an idiot all night or are you going to let me out?" Jason asked bitterly, pushing against the ropes yet again to prove his point, as though it actually needed proving.

"Well, with that attitude, I just might let you die in there." Dick taunted, standing up to his full height and still grinning down on Red Hood. _He's having way too much fun with this._

"Well, Wing Nut, that's certainly what I'd intended to do." Both vigilantes were startled, neither had heard Joker and his crew enter the premises. But, sure enough, there he was standing with one arm around Harley's shoulders as she hung off his waist. He had his purple jacket slung over one shoulder, and his eye brows knit together, making his smile look that much more diabolical.

As Jason momentarily pictured Joker with the head of Mojo Jo-Jo from the Powerpuff Girls, who Jason always immediately thought of when thinking of the word diabolical (come on, that guy was the most diabolical of them all), Dick crouched back down on the ball. He looked like he was preparing to break the ball down or something. That would just not do, because from this height, Jason would be killed from the fall. Although, on the stroke of luck that he did survive the fall, he'd probably die from the millions of glass shards that would puncture him in several places.

Just because Jason had died a time or two didn't mean it was something he'd like to do again.

"Well, you wanted me, Joker. Here I am." Nightwing said, and Jason rolled his eyes, forcing his mouth to shut when all his instincts told him to shout, '_REALLY_? THAT'S the best you got?'

"That's true, Boy Blunder." Joker said, prying himself from Harley's grasp and strolling towards the two slowly. "I kind of need that favor I was promised."

Nightwing narrowed his eyes, leaping from the ball and landing perfectly, allowing his knees to absorb the shock and crumple beneath him, before standing perfectly and reaching a good five inches taller than the Joker. _Damn._ Jason thought. And Jason was probably an inch taller than Dick, but now wasn't the time to debate who was the tallest.

"That was five years ago, Joker." Dick growled, taking a small step forward. He lowered one hand, towards the holster that hung by his thigh that contained both electric Eskrima sticks. "You really expect me to go through with that?" He crossed his arms, clenching some unknown hidden device in his fist. Dick wasn't nearly stupid enough to approach the Joker unarmed.

"Yes." He said simply, a small laugh coming out of his mouth. Joker allowed Harley to nestle herself under his arm again, probably leaning a majority of his weight on her.

"What do you want?" Good question, Dickie Bird. What was this guy's angle? There must've been something Joker wanted. Jason doubted there was anything logical about the guy's request, but that didn't stop his curiosity.

At this, Joker burst into laughter. He leaned into Harley, his green, greasy hair falling into his eyes in such a scraggly way that it covered more of his eyes than Jason's did. He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye, and wiped a few drops of blood from his already ruby lips.

Dick noticeably tensed when he started laughing, having not seen Joker since the night he'd given him the antidote and disappeared. The smile was obviously a trigger for the guy. Hey, Jason sympathized, just not a lot. After all, the maniac had killed him. And Jason had dealt with him several times since then.

When Joker finally stopped laughing, Nightwing's muscles did not relax. If anything, they tensed more. Joker tried to lunge at the black clad hero, but his movements were slow and sluggish, his muscles probably strained with whatever illness the lunatic had come down with.

He ended up falling at Nightwing's feet, laughing quietly up at him as he stared into his face. He stood quickly, not backing away from Nightwing, but stepping closer, sticking a prodding finger into his chest.

"Do you still have it?" he whispered, although Jason could easily read his lips. He began tracing the letters on Dick's chest, feeling the hero tremble slightly under his bony touch. "Is my master piece still there?"

Jason could vaguely remember what he was referring to, a scar that Jason himself had only seen once. Jason had several ugly scars from Joker, bruises that didn't go away after he died and the blood ran cold under his skin, cuts that had healed to an extent, a few stab wounds. But none of them were as ugly as the one on Dick's chest.

It seemed to have healed as a scab, the fiery red disrupting his pale skin. It was clear the cut had been deep when it had been carved, cutting into the muscle and marring it forever. The tissues had never healed back correctly. Jason could barely picture it now, the lines jagged and crooked. The cut had been slow, making each second last painfully long. _**HA! **_It said in horrifying letters, just the thought turning Jason's blood uncomfortably cold.

Dick shoved Joker roughly back, landing the clown on his ass and laughing again. Dick took a few steps back, his breathing had become rough, and Jason could've sworn he could see the vein in Dick's neck start pulsing a bit faster.

"_DO YOU WANT THE FAVOR OR NOT?!" _Dick shouted at him, chucking the sharp weapon he'd pulled out earlier at Joker, pinning his sleeve to the cement and whipping out his Eskrima sticks threateningly. Harley approached him, but he quickly chucked some sort of sticky residue at her, sticking it to her face, successfully blinding and, luckily for everyone, silencing her.

"Yes, Boy Blunder. Don't get your panties in a twist." Joker said, finally calming down from his second laughing fit.

"Well?" Dick said, putting away his Eskrima sticks. Joker was stuck anyway, that batarang was at least an inch deep in the cement. That maniac wasn't going anywhere.

"Geez," Joker said, a pouty look over coming his diabolical (Mojo Jo-Jo) features. "And you call yourself a detective." He grinned slightly, before exploding into yet another coughing fit. Nightwing didn't respond, only glaring at the clown and waiting for him to get on with it.

"Alright, alright, Blue Bird." Joker said.

"Hey!" Jason called, enraged tat Joker had once again stolen his nick name. Joker ignored him, again, however, choosing to instead talk to Nightwing.

"If you couldn't already tell, I'm kind of sick." Joker said, his voice becoming extremely hoarse and strained. He glanced at a glass of water by his bed longingly, but said nothing and made no moves towards it. "Now, think about that and think about what your favor to me could _possibly_ be."

"You want me to find the cure." Nightwing said monotonously, not missing a beat. He crossed his arms over his chest, probably hiding another batarang in his fist. "Why? Why not find it yourself?"

"No, bird brain!" Joker cried, fruitlessly attempting to wriggle the batarang out of the cement. "You're too stupid to find the cure! I want you to infect Batman 'accidentally'," he put air quotes around the word as he used his free hand to pull out a vial filled with liquid of a sickly green color. "With this, which is the same toxin I got, and then wait for him to find the cure. Then, bring me the cure. Then we'll be even."

Nightwing narrowed his eyes, knowing that this small task would be nearly impossible. Batman was, after all, off world. There was no way that Nightwing could get him to make the cure without explaining the full situation, let alone get the cure from him within a decent amount of time.

"And what if-"

"You say no?" Joker asked in what was probably supposed to be a sing-song voice, but came out as a comedic whisper. "Then you'll be losing two of your little friends…. Again." At this, Joker's face darkened. His smile seemed to grow as it melded into the shadows his pointed nose and shaggy hair cast over his skin.

Jason's own eyes found themselves widening in shock. Of course, he'd be one to die. Hell, he'd be surprised if Joker didn't kill him anyway, just for fun. He had come to face the facts about thirty minutes ago that Joker would most likely kill him again. It was a sinking feeling he was well aware of.

But the second person? Jason couldn't come to think of who it may be. He actually couldn't think of anyone that Joker might be able to get a hand on. He knew Nightwing was flipping through everyone possible for the Joker to capture. Most likely targets were probably Batgirl and Robin, but they hadn't found the Joker yet. Next was probably Artemis and Wally, but they also hadn't found the Joker yet.

Actually, as he thought of anyone and everyone there seemed to be one large reason it couldn't possibly be them.

Jason found his thoughts rudely interrupted by the hoarse laughter that had come to sound almost normal since he'd heard it so often in the last few days.

"The second person, right?" Joker asked, looking up at Dick's '_I'm concentrating'_ face. The one where he narrowed his eyes and, behind his mask, his azure gaze was going in and out of focus on seemingly random objects that he absent-mindedly chose to keep them busy while he thought. "You're wondering who the second person is, aren't you?" Joker glanced over Nightwing's shoulder, at Jason who sat tied to his little chair in the background. "So is my favorite little bird!" his voice was ecstatic, as though he'd just won a car on some late night game show.

"Why it's the big, bad Bat himself!" Joker cried, finally prying himself loose of the batarang's iron grip. He frowned at the large hole in his sleeve where the object had torn through and pinned him down. Jason had to admit, Dick had a good arm and nice aim.

"But… how did you-"

"The cure, dummy!" Joker said, knocking on Nightwing's forehead once before dancing around him once. He bent over, already struggling to find his breath. "There was a different poison in the cure I gave you! It won't activate unless I press the detonator!"

Dick tensed, so much that his spandex suit looked like it was going to burst, more than usual that is. _Jason and Bruce._

"And don't forget about you're little misfit, who I intend to have lots of fun with until I receive the cure." Joker grinned, turning to look at Jason, who only scowled and mumbled profanities in return. "My crowbar hasn't been used in a while, and I've got a few good new serums to try on him."

Dick's jaw dropped open, and his gaze shifted to Jason frantically. He now noticed a large red gash on the side of his forehead, the blood from the gash blending in almost seamlessly into his ebony hair. No wonder he hadn't seen it before. A small droplet of blood had dried along his hairline. Although Dick knew Jason had been through much worse (duh), he still worried for him.

"Fine." He sighed, holding out his palm to take the toxin that Joker still clung to. The madman grinned maniacally and tossed him the vial.

"You have two weeks until they're both dead."

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**OKAY! Are you guys happy?! I've finally revealed Joker's secret favor! GASP IN FREAKING EXCITEMENT OR I WILL FIND YOU AND BLOW YOUR HOUSE UP.**

**I'm kidding. I love you guys. You can't review without a house. **

**Or sleep. **

**I myself am a huge fan of sleep, so yeah. I would never…**

**ANYWHO!**

**I have TWO review questions this time! You guys are just sooo lucky today. ;) **

**QUESTION 1: ****was the favor a slight let down for some, or did it by far exceed your expectations, or just meet them, or…. Just tell me what you thought of how the plot is going so far. I'm a bit if-fy on the rest I suppose.**

**QUESTION 2: ****This is more of a self confidence thing than anything, and I kind of just want to share, but still. How many of my favorite readers think I could write for real? As in, as a career and get paid for it and publish actual books. Or possibly write movies? My parents have little to no faith in me and it's starting to wear me down, so I need a little boost. :/ **

**REVIEW ANSWERS!**

_**Yuna Kimitachi**_**: I know that feel. I twirl pencils between my fingers and it drives people crazy for unknown reasons…True. I probably would've updated this chapter on Wednesday, but I didn't like how the ending turned out. :/ Is it good enough to meet your standards? ;P I didn't include butt-kicking, but it's coming. Pinky promise. **

_**Lakeshine**_**: I already answered your review in a PM…. But still… thanks. I love you by the way, I don't believe I've ever said that, but you review just about every chapter and I appreciate it. :) **

_**GwenuitHolland:**_** Thanks! And now, I liked your drawing. I personally don't believe I could've drawn it better myself. I never got around to darkening the lines though and it's starting to drive me crazy. :/ No I don't, actually. If you happen to find out though, please share. :P **

_**READINGhearts17:**_** I know! Her voice and stuff got to me in the Arkham City and Arkham Asylum games. I like her character and all, and I especially love how she was portrayed in BTAS, but sometimes I just want to light her on fire. **

_**Undecidable:**_** I do, actually, love your predictions. ;) You were ironically close. I hope it took more than just five minutes of thought! Don't want to make things **_**TOO**_** easy for you. ;) Please, make another prediction, because as previously stated, I love them. By the way, you called me Charlie, and for some reason, I found that significant. I like this game we got going on here too, it keeps me on my toes too. ;) **


	13. Chapter 13 Hammers and Chemicals

**Hey guys! **

**Sorry I neglected you this week, but only a little. I was busy, tending to the other stories I haven't updated since July. **

**Don't give me that look, you guys have received special treatment and you know it! They needed a little TLC from Charlie, and I was only happy to oblige. **

**ANYWAY, I'm having a fangirl episode… so excuse me if this is a little ehh. I'm going to focus mainly on Jason torture this time because 1) I love Jason to death because he is so perfect I could just…. Ugh. And 2) because I love to beat up characters I love. Which is weird in normal life, yet normal on FanFiction. DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO TELL ME IT'S NOT! **

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He could spy a slight silver streak dangling in front of his hanging head, buried deep in the strands of black that hung over his sweaty forehead. He gathered the blood in his mouth, preparing to spit it out in favor of choking on it and dying (again). But his motions were stopped when a slim hand roughly gripped his chin, squeezing his cheeks together so far they were touching on the inside of his mouth.

He felt the blood oozing out of his mouth slowly, dripping down his chin and mingling with his sweat. Wearing three layers of Kevlar, a leather jacket, long sleeves and combat boots wasn't turning out to be his best choice of the moment. His adrenaline levels pumped his body heat through the ceiling as it was, but add the several layers of extra thick clothing?

That was just a heat stroke waiting to happen.

He found himself looking through his streaked hair into the dazzling blue eyes of the Clown Princess herself. He wished he had control of his mouth, and that blood back, as the urge to spit in her face nearly overwhelmed him.

"I didn't think you could handle the hammer." Harley crooned as she straddled his lap, a hammer splattered with his own blood laying casually across her lap. She wrapped one arm around his neck, the other holding his chin up. "Mister Jay always used a crow bar. He was taking it easy on you."

Jason laughed, a rough, gurgling sound that echoed against the walls of the almost empty warehouse. He'd been 'safely' (he was pretty sure he'd broken his leg somewhere in the process) lowered down from his glassy new home, where he'd been subjected to torture at the hands of Harley Quinn. Joker had pouted about it for a good ten minutes, but (hopefully) had the sanity not to argue when he couldn't put Quinn in her place with a quick smack.

She hummed cheerily while releasing his jaw and subconsciously looping her other arm around his neck, interlocking her fingers behind his head.

"I feel so… _privileged._" Jason panted. He was almost positive he'd inhaled one of his shattered teeth, because every breath he took rattled his lungs. And it _hurt_. He hadn't felt this kind of pain since his days with Talia… which was a story all on its own and was meant for another time.

"You should, Boy Wonder." Harley said, looking off into the distance as though she was gazing into a forgotten memory that had suddenly resurfaced. "He was always such a gentleman with you brats. But," she snapped her head back, a wicked grin lighting her features. "I'll teach you some big boy manners!"

She clenched the muscles in her arms, effectively cutting off his circulation of the air (that he was barely getting enough of as it was). After about three minutes of trying to hold his breath without struggling, he began to twitch slightly, enlarging Quinn's grin slightly. As the seconds ticked away, his twitch grew into full out flailing against the rope, wire, and tape that bound him to the chair he was trapped in.

Finally, the crazed clown released him, watching as he gasped for breath and his head lolled to the side, the sudden rush of oxygen almost too much for his brain to handle.

"Don't fall asleep yet, Red." She sang, waltzing over to the beds and reaching behind so Jason couldn't see where she was reaching, not that he was paying much attention anyway. When she skipped merrily back to him, he was only slightly panting, his muscles clenching and unclenching involuntarily.

He weakly looked up at what she was doing, just to be sure she wasn't going to shoot him in the face or something. Nope, she was just filling a syringe with some mysterious juice that looked an awful lot like what they used on him during his second (?) year as Robin. If memory served, Jason and Joker Junk didn't exactly get along.

She happily watched his muscles tense as she neared with the serum, rolling up the sleeve on his leather jacket. She was going on about how much easier it would be to poison him once she'd gotten him out of all his shirts, but he was focusing on what she was doing with that juice.

When Quinn laid a hand on his bicep, he accidentally flinched about two inches away from her touch. This action elicited a laugh from the jester, and she looked at him with wide, crazy eyes. "You feel scared yet, Boy-o?" she asked quietly. Pushing the juice into his arm, she giggled silently.

"What… the hell… are you putting… in me?" Jason panted, trying his best to glare, but it might have come out as one of those looks people in movies give when their barely conscious. Which wasn't true, Jason was wide awake. And concerned about what the hell was in his bloodstream now.

"I gave it to you a long time ago, ya' know. Back when you was still a little birdy, fresh off the training mats if I remember right." Harley said, sashaying back towards her bed, where she deposited the syringe in an unknown location. "It's this mix Mistah Jay made before Batsy even _had_ a sidekick. It's got some Scarecrow stuff in it, and some laughing juice, and I think there's some ecstasy somewhere in there." She shrugged, as though she knew there was more, but couldn't think of it.

Jason tried to remain calm. This probably wouldn't kill him. He'd done it before. It just caused crazy hallucinations… that could last days, if he was lucky. And he doubted Harley would let him rest up during his crazy days. Oh wasn't he in for a _world_ of fun.

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"_**DAMN IT!"**_ Nightwing screamed as the computer yet again came up short. These chemicals were simple, but when combined they made something so complex that even Wally had no clue what it was. Nightwing considered asking Barry, but he seriously didn't want to get the whole League involved. Barry had a tendency to be a big mouth.

He slammed his fist into the holographic computer monitor, watching the image blur and remaining unsatisfied with the lack of violence his action had caused. He was grinding his teeth, pacing the floor, when Cassie and Jaime walked in.

"Gee, boss," Cassie mused, chewing rather loudly on her gum. "Something wrong?" she propped a hand on her hip, briefly waving goodbye to Jaime as he exited the Cave.

"Sorry, Nightwing, but I'm already late. I'll help, uhh, later." He called as he left.

Nightwing sighed, rubbing a hand across his face, careful to keep his mask in place. "No, Cass. Nothing is wrong."

"That's not what it sounded like from the kitchen." She smirked, crossing her arms across the golden W across her chest and leaning almost all her weight on one leg.

Nightwing opened his mouth to reply, but the Zeta interrupted him, announcing rather loudly the Dynamic Couple's (as Bart had so promptly named them) entrance. After the blue lights faded, Wally and Artemis stepped into the Cave, looking at the very few changes that had been made since their last visit. Tim stepped in behind them, giving his older brother a 'look' that only the Bat-Family would understand.

_Let's get the hell out of here; we have stuff to tell you._

Nightwing nodded, putting away the holographic screens. He looked back to Cassie, who looked more confused than ever. She had only met Wally and Artemis once, and (like all the freshmen) thought of the two as Team Legends. The only higher respect was held for… the previous Team leader…

"Cassie, sorry to cut the conversation short, but I've got to run." He smirked at her, watching her stare in practical disbelief.

The quartet left the Cave, winding up in a dirty alley in Gotham, one that stank of rotten garbage and drugs. The small group made their way down the alley, towards the back where they could successfully meld into the shadows, away from prying eyes that may be looking.

A shadow suspiciously shaped like Nightwing leaned against a wall, watching out with a tense body that was ready to pounce. The other three were in hidden compartments within the alley, changing into their hero garb. The already armor-clad hero waited patiently, not speaking until they were in a more secure location.

Tim was the first to emerge, fully dressed as Robin. He walked out of the compartment within the alley, adjusting his utility belt before standing beside his brother in the shadows.

Within two more minutes, Artemis and Kid Flash had joined them, both their costumes on stealth mode. With nothing but a nod in confirmation the older ebony had seen them, Nightwing and Robin grappled to the rooftops, Kid Flash latching onto Nightwing and Artemis shooting her own arrow.

For a moment, the feeling of Kid Flash holding onto his utility belt reminded Dick of all the times he used to carry KF to higher places on missions. That was so long ago, so far in the distant past that it'd been buried underneath current worries and recent issues. The Invasion, the Joker, Jason, patrol in both Gotham and Bludhaven, managing the Team; Nightwing hadn't realized how stressed he'd been until a miniscule memory had brought a small smile to his face.

But now was not the time to think about the good ole days. Now they had new information, and Dick needed it. To save his brother.

The heroes reached one of Batman's most famous perches in all of Gotham, one Nightwing had been at not too long ago with Jason in search of a certain feline. He looked over at the gargoyle staring out over his ex-mentor's city with a vengeance that matched its usual company. The scowl forever engraved on its stony face did, in fact, match Batman's.

"Earth to Nightwing," Artemis said, a small smirk on her face. "You want to know what we got, or are you going to stare at that gargoyle like it's your lover all night?" she contracted her bow, putting it in its special compartment on her belt.

Robin had to bite back a comment about Nightwing and Batgirl and instead cleared his throat, preparing the information they'd found for the eldest Bat.

"So, the chemicals you found in that toxin from the Joker? Yeah, turns out that they are all curable, but the compound itself isn't." Tim said, pulling up his holo-screen. He began typing on it, pulling up images of the compound and separating them to prove his point. He labeled each chemical before pulling up separate images of the cures for each, then putting the original toxin together again and showing how the cures would be ineffective.

Nightwing sighed, running a hand through the mop of thick black locks that he called a hair-do. "Yeah, Robin. I already knew that." He said.

"Hold on, Wonder Boy." Artemis said, stepping slightly closer. "He's not done."

"If you were paying attention, the cures were effective to the separate toxins, but not when they're all together." Tim continued. "But, aspects of the cures still can stop aspects of the toxins."

Nightwing considered this. His eyes widened before briefly narrowing again, his arms fiddling with his belt and then crossed at his chest. He repeatedly was twitching as he thought this over, and came up short of an explanation with each thought that buzzed through his head.

"What are you saying?" he asked, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, examining his comrades.

"He's saying," Wally cut in, stepping forward to stand beside Artemis. "If we can find the portions of each cure that does cancel the poison, than all we have to do is find the right combination and psycho is back to killing innocents and torturing teenagers in no time."

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**GUYS I UPDATED. **

**I'm sorry, I really wanted to have this up yesterday. You know, happy Thanksgiving and all that. So, to all my American followers, HAPPY LATE THANKSGIVING. **

**But yeah, I've decided that rather than only updating THIS story once a week, I'm going to switch between updating this story, and my other two stories that I haven't updated since JULY. Just a reminder of how nice I've been to you guys, and you know the only thing I ask in reward? **

**A review from each and every one of you. I mean seriously, your reviews enlighten my day, and I always reply to all of them. So why NOT review? That's my question. **

**My question of the update though, is how many of you guys liked the show Smallville? I've recently become slightly (SLIGHTLY I SWEAR) obsessed, especially since not only is it NOT a CN show, but also because YJ is on hiatus because CN IS A TOTAL DOUCHE OF A COMPANY. Pardon my French, I tend to hold grudges. **

**That reminds me, have any of you heard about a specific date that the show, or comic for that matter, will be returning? Because I have not. I did hear the comic was cancelled, but I don't know how true that is…**

**REVIEW ANSWERS!**

_**READINGhearts17:**_** That was definitely my plan! XD**

_**Lakeshine: **_**Thanks! Twists are kind of my favorite weapon against my readers. I'm a terrible person, with my serious urge to give you guys terrible cliffhangers. **

_**Mockinjay013: **_**Thank you so much. You seriously made my day with that review. I usually don't let them get to me, but sometimes you can't help it, you know? **

_**Undecidable: **_**okay, Jo. ;) haha. Thanks, I added the whole Mojo Jojo thing so I could kind of lighten the mood. Yeah, I may or may not have stolen the idea from Teen Titans. But you know, who's keeping track anyway. :P I like that idea, and I think when my brother is born I'll end up doing that. I'm trying to be a 'good older sister' this time around. Keep guessing like that, I love it. I absolutely LOVE when my readers make predictions. And don't worry, you like to read Jason getting his ass kicked, I like to write it. ;) I got your back. And thanks, by the way, I loved your long review. Keep those up, they enlighten my day. **

_**Yuna Kimitachi: **_**Right? You wouldn't think someone like him would be so darn clever. Shame I have to write him as just that. XP Oh I know. Original writings are hard, I can never think of names. Mainly because I tend to base my characters off of characters I like or see in TV shows and then I try to name them that character and it just never works. You'll find out how he gets infected… you know… eventually. XP I hope this chapter had plenty of butt-kicking for you, considering Jason got beat up a little bit. Glad I could exceed your standards, hoping I managed to do it again! XD **

**REVIEW KINDLY!**

_**~Charlie**_


	14. Chapter 14 Mom?

**Hey guys! I am updating because my boyfriend is at work and I have nothing better to do… plus I've been meaning to this week. **

**So, I don't know if I told you guys, but I did decide to go ahead and do the 'update a different story per week' thing, so that's why I didn't update last week. If you're doing the math correctly, I won't be updating for another two weeks after this. So deal with it I guess? **

**I'm sorry. I over wrote myself when I started all these stories….**

**ENJOY!**

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_Shadows lined the room into which a young Jason Todd climbed in through an old creaky window. The room was messy, dirty clothes littering the floor along with shards of broken items long forgotten. The bare mattress had several knife marks in it, each having a story of when Todd had lost his temper with a pocket knife in hand. _

_He landed quietly on the cold floors of his beat down apartment that he shared with his mother. The pads of his feet produced a soft thud as he landed not-so-gracefully, but he didn't care. His mom was probably too drunk to hear him anyway. _

_Presently, the young boy pulled a loaf of bread and a necklace that sparkled faintly in the grim lighting out from beneath his battered shirt. Plopping a small chunk of bread into his mouth, he smirked at his evening's work. The necklace had been a difficult feat for the small thief, but he'd managed to pull it off the older woman while she wasn't looking. _

_Jason was a large boy, structure wise. However, he was scrawnier than any boy should be at __**any**__ age, especially since he spent a great amount of time running and building up his muscles. He was strong, there was no doubt about it, but one would never guess from looking at him. He looked like little more than a skeleton with loose skin hanging off it's frame, with a mop of self-chopped black hair on top of his head. _

_After tasting the bread, he hungrily placed more into his mouth, savoring the flavor and silencing his stomach. The cinnamon and honey flavor seeped down his throat, oozing into his stomach and making his taste buds dance and sizzle across his mouth. Before he knew it, the bread was gone, his stomach greedily begging for more. He groaned in disappointment, his hands rubbing his still empty stomach. Lord knows it'd been ages since Jason Todd had felt the gift of an over-filled tummy. _

_As he stared into the dark of his bedroom, laying sprawled out on the bed with his arms folded beneath his head, waiting for sleep's welcoming arms to take him away from this life he led, the door slammed open, a blinding light flooding into his room. He squinted against the light as a slender figure stumbled towards him. Her face matched that of his mother, but the rest was unfamiliar. _

_She was curvaceous, her blonde hair tied into preppy pony-tails. A petite woman, she had long and slender legs, the feet beneath them small enough to fit into a child's shoe. Her eyes blue eyes drooped lazily, showing that she was drunk. As if the broken wine glass in her hand didn't already tell him that. _

_The closer she stumbled towards him, the closer he became to vomiting from the putrid stench of alcohol that wafted through the room from its origin: his unwanted guest. _

"_Mom?" he called out to her, leaning up from his semi-comfortable position on the beaten mattress. "Mom, go to bed." _

_Her eyes were wide, the blue in them shining now. Her smile was crazy, and it frightened the young boy on the bed. "What are you dreaming, Red?" she responded, lifting the broken glass in her hand high above her head. "I'm not your mom, brat!" _

_She brought the glass down, her arm swinging gleefully with as much force as her petite body could muster. Although, it was clear this woman was much like Jason: stronger than she looked. _

_Jason's body was unresponsive, proving him immobile to the woman's attacks. The glass cut through his forearm, blood spewing from the open wound like a fountain of gore. Jason bit back a cry, something within his mind begging him not to scream in pain at the stinging sensation the glass brought him. _

_She raised the glass again, this time her swing swiped across his cheek. A large gash opened there, and he thought it had completely punctured his cheek momentarily. He prodded the sore spot with his tongue, feeling a thin layer of flesh between the inside and outside of his cheek. It sung, causing his tongue to flinch away from the marking. _

_He looked back up, his eyes trying desperately to hide pain and confusion behind resentment and a well practiced stone wall. While he'd been distracted, however, his mother had disappeared, a court jester standing in her place. Her dark red lips stretched jaggedly across her face in the form of a smile, her eyes full of delight as she lifted a large, wooden mallet above her head. _

_It was obviously used, the flat end of the mallet smashed and crushed inwards from years of beating objects harder than itself. The handle was worn, the purple grip, made of thickly wrapped in ribbon, was shaped in such a way it would mold perfectly to a certain hand, and that hand was obviously this jester's. _

"_What do you want?!" Jason cried, trying to hide the frightened voice of a small child. He attempted to back away from the woman as she approached, but instead his body remained unresponsive, restraints suddenly holding him to his bed as she neared him. _

"_Shut up, kid." _

Harley neared the hallucinating Red Hood, her mallet in hand. Strangely enough, the anti-hero wasn't unconscious, but was simply viewing everything differently, as if living a real nightmare. Harley briefly mused over this, before bringing the hammer down on his pelvis, eliciting a loud groan of pain from the boy's dry throat, the sound raspy and drawn out.

She smirked, watching the whites of the teen's mask widen in pain before narrowing a large amount, his arms struggling to go to the area she'd just hit, his back arching as he tried to curl into himself. She had probably hit an area where no man deserves to be hit, but she only smiled at the thought of causing him that much pain.

He continued to groan, his voice deep. "WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" he shouted again, this time his voice far more strained, the veins in his neck pulsing erratically. His muscles clenched and un-clenched involuntarily, probably as an effect of the drug, tightening against the handcuffs that bound him to the bed.

She pulled the hammer up once more, swinging it down with not only all her force, but also the sheer weight of the large mallet. It slammed down on the muscular teen's already-cracked ribs, a loud thud satisfying her. Although, the loud grunt that came from a winded Red Hood didn't exactly make her sad.

"You know, Red," she said, putting down her hammer and sitting on the bed, wrapping her legs firmly around Red Hood's waist-line. She ran her hands along his well-toned chest, digging her finger nails particularly deep into the several wounds she'd inflicted on him. "I'm going to miss all our fun when I turn you over to Mistah Jay."

His body moved against hers, flinching away despite there being no way to go. His actions brought a small smile to her face; the way he acted like a frightened child, the way he acted afraid of her as though she was the mother who had betrayed him early on.

Harleen Quinzel had always known that that members of the Bat-Clan had been crazy. Being a psychiatrist, she'd known that they had probably suffered severely traumatic events as children, scarring them emotionally to an extent they tried to stop the same pain from being inflicted on others. She'd have never guessed that Red would be so messed up that his nightmares would consist of his apparently abusive mother, though.

He looked up at her, the whites of his blood red mask wide, portraying his horrified expression. He looked so frightened, so raw. It gave her a thrill to see him so vulnerable.

"But you'll have to, my dear." Joker said from the next bed over. He stood, using his crowbar to lean on and toying with his open switch blade as he made his way over to where Harley was climbing off Red Hood's waist. "It's my turn."

His cackle mingled with a quiet gasp of fear as it echoed through the warehouse.

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Barbara Gordon walked casually through Gotham, blending in with the Saturday afternoon crowd better than she'd like to admit. She wore a purple tank top and black skinny jeans, her fiery red hair in a pony tail and her Converse sneakers making little to no sound against the pavement. On the bridge of her nose rested a pair of sunglasses, hiding her sea green eyes. She did not want to be recognized as Barbara Gordon.

The breeze caressed her bare shoulders, almost making her wish she'd worn a jacket or something. It probably would have helped her hide her identity more, although it also could've made her more of a liability to being suspicious. Few wore a hoodie during the warmer months.

In downtown Gotham, there was a cute little café; very classy, a place one would find more than plenty of hipsters at. It was a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place, two small tables set for two or three at most in front of the building and a few more inside, a blue and white awning outside. It was carved out of an old boutique that was popular in the 50s, complete with a large display window that had once been used to display the latest fashions but was now used for advertisement. It had red and gold, hand-painted letters on it advertising the week's special.

Barbara chose this particular café for a very secretive mission, one that was off the records. Dick was not to know about it, or Tim. Barbara strutted up to the steps, before a flood of golden hair gracefully pooling over a familiar face's shoulder caught her eye at one of the outdoor tables.

Turning towards Artemis, she smirked and sat down at the small table the blonde had already declared theirs.

"So, where'd you send Wally?" Barbara asked, sipping her pre-ordered coffee. Pumpkin spice latte; damn, Artemis had her down, and she was silently grateful for it. "He's not out with Dick and Tim is he?"

"As if those three would _go_ out right now," Artemis scoffed. "But yeah, they're still working on this 'secret mission' that we're not allowed to know about." Her ashen gaze turned down for a brief moment, before settling back on Barbara with a newfound determination burning behind the silver that filled her irises.

"Well, that's why we're here, isn't it?" Barbara said, determination filling her own heart up to the brim, awakening her inner detective. Being born a police commissioner's daughter, Barbara had always been curious of the things around her. She wanted to know things, to be able to successfully predict a situation and react accordingly, to figure out when someone was lying to her, to find the truth herself rather than be fed lies by those who sought to _'protect her'_. Becoming Batgirl had only fueled this need to figure things out, being trained by one who was said to be the World's Greatest Detective.

Artemis had the same desire, the raw determination to never lose. She was raised to compete to survive, and that was an ideal she'd carry for the rest of her life. Now, she was trained in several areas. She could kill you fifty different ways with her bare hands. She could steal from a guarded safe within five minutes carrying everything within its contents. Artemis was physically trained to a peak, and she wasn't exactly stupid, but she wanted to know more. She had an unquenchable thirst for winning, and if knowing was what she had to do to win, she would learn.

The blonde nodded, allowing Barbara to continue. "So, got any ideas?" She asked, sipping her coffee once more.

"Well, they play on _your_ home turf, so I figured you'd know how to get into the main frame and see what it is they've been up to." Artemis said, a small smirk playing at her plump lips. "You always were better at computers than Dick."

Barbara took the compliment in stride and continued thinking, her brain bouncing around ideas like a racket ball game. She thought, the fans in her mind churning to cool the computer she called a brain. "The Bat-Computer is different, though." She explained. "Bruce set the damn thing up so that if someone were to ever hack one of our profiles, they couldn't get into anyone else's. Every account on that computer has a completely different set of firewalls that Batman, Nightwing, and Batgirl set up themselves."

"So it's basically un-hackable?" Artemis asked, nodding her understanding. She sipped her own latte, downing it in one last gulp before tossing it into the trashcan without looking.

"No, I could hack it." Barbara said, nodding, though her expression remained one of frustration and confusion, an expression uncommon for Barbara Gordon's face, and it didn't look too comely. "But it would set off all sorts of alarm. Dick would know within five minutes of me even clicking on something wrong. It could take hours, which we don't have."

Artemis' confidence was swiped down a notch, but she quickly recovered, already thinking to get a new idea. "We could always just plant bugs."

"Impossible." Barbara immediately shot the idea down, practically scoffing at Artemis' logic. "There are no possible places to hide a bug in that cave where no one would find it. If Tim didn't find it, Dick would. And if Dick didn't find it, Alfred would." It's not that Barbara didn't trust Alfred, (Quite the opposite. Despite being the _only_ Bat-family member who doesn't actively fight on the field, Barbara trusted Alfred with her life.) but she wanted as few people in on this plan as possible.

"Okay," Artemis said slowly, rolling her eyes at her friend's negativity. "What if we just _asked?_"

Barbara didn't say anything, merely offered her friend a look that said: _Are you fucking kidding me?_

"You know," Artemis said, pointing an accusing finger at Barbara, who only smirked at her friend in response. "We'll never get anything accomplished if you keep being all negative."

Barbara laughed, clutching her stomach and trying to force air into her lungs again. She didn't mean to laugh, but she'd known Artemis was trying to lighten the mood, even if she wasn't trying that hard. "Well, sorry Archy (**1**), but that's how good plans are made."

Artemis rolled her eyes, both at her stupid nickname Babs had given her and at the insane similarities between Barbara and Dick right now. "You'd be amazed at how much you sound like a _Bat_ right now."

The two shared a small giggle, laughing just to ease the pressure. These times were so stressful lately, with all that was happening. Dick had a lot on his plate, meaning everyone else had a lot on their plates. This Joker issue was only a speed bump on the cracked, twisted, and bumpy road that stretched a great distance ahead of them.

Once they'd finally calmed down, Barbara sipped the last of her own beverage before following Artemis' disposal actions. "Well, don't worry. I've got a decent plan and we might not get killed for it."

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**GASP! What are they planning?! **

**Yes, I gave you more Jason because I have an immense amount of feels for his pretty face and he's cannon in this show (AND ONLY THIS SHOW) and I can. So deal with it.**

**We'll check in on the guys next chapter. Pinky swear. :D **

**By the way, I'm sorry this wasn't a weekend update like I promised I would. I'm a day late because I had things to do this weekend. I had to plan and throw my step mother's baby shower plus I have finals and I had to dye my hair and then I had a computer malfunction because freaking iTunes decided that the ONE TIME I actually sat down to finish this story (I started on like…. Wednesday?), my computer crashed because I tried to upload new music from a few new CDs. **

**Moral of the story: I'm sorry I didn't update this weekend. I'm honestly surprised I was able to update tonight. Just so you know, if I get busted on the computer right now, I'll be grounded for at least a week. So YOU'RE WELCOME. ;) **

**Anywho, I noticed several of my favorite reviewers aren't reviewing any more, and that makes me sad. D: So please review, because I get depressed when you don't. :(**

_**QUESTION GAME: **_**since I KIND OF ran out of questions a long time ago, you guys get to ask me questions! I call it TMI Tuesday, although I'll have to think of a different name since I generally update on weekends… **

**Here's how it works: you review any question for me you could possibly think of, and I have to answer. The only exception is if I feel just insanely uncomfortable answering it (i.e. personal information, things that bother me in general, something where you're actually trying to make me argue with you, etc.). I don't get uncomfortable easily. If you'd like to ask anonymously, feel free to PM me and I'll answer through that rather than the review answers. **

_**REVIEW ANSWERS:**_

**I don't have time right now, because, as stated before, it is far past my bedtime. I'll try to PM all who reviewed last chapter, no promises though. **

_**~Charlie~**_


	15. Chapter 15 Joker's Wild

**HAPPY UPDATE DAY! AND HAPPY NEW EPISODE! **

**Let's just ignore the fact that it's hardly 'new' because of the whole iTunes thing and how a majority of us found it on the internet anyways, due to kind people on various websites who were kind enough to share links of other websites where the episode was available. Yeah, let's just ignore that. **

**Anyway, I'm really behind, but on the bright side, I spent a majority of my weekend researching Jason and the rest of the Bat-family (or TEACHING, if you will) so I've got some great new perspectives I can't wait to try out. **

**And on that note, enjoy. **

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"How's it coming?" Nightwing asked, his voice hard as steel. Wally was almost surprised at how much his friend sounded like his terrifying mentor, but he was sad to admit he'd began expecting it of Dick.

The speedster didn't look up from his work at the computer, instead trying once more to decode the chemicals. "How do you think?" he asked, coldly. He split apart holographic molecules and placed the remains in two separate piles, on for the cure and one for scratch. He could feel Dick's eyes on his back, watching him work. It made him feel both proud and disturbed. "Could you not stare at me? It's a bit distracting." He said over his shoulder, only briefly pausing.

"Sorry," Nightwing said. He sounded exhausted now. The kid probably hadn't been getting any rest at all lately. He was strained. Wally almost wanted to tell him to go take a nap or something, but he knew Dick. He knew him better than most, with the exception of Barbara. He would deny he was tired and insist on trying to help, despite the fact Wally could probably get it done faster without him.

"It's fine." Wally mumbled, listening as the chair huffed beneath the weight of the eighteen-year-olds butt.

"No, it's really not." Dick said, his voice shaky. At this point, Wally turned from his work (the computer was running an artificial experiment anyway), looking at his friend in slight surprise.

He had taken off his mask, finding Wally's living room a safe place to reveal his beauteous eyes, resting his forehead in his palms. His elbows were digging into his knees, the full weight of his torso resting on the padding of his dark suit. His back rolled uncontrollably with shagged breaths, as he obviously tried to suppress tears.

Wally got up, by his friend's side within a second (literally). He sat on the arm of the chair, putting a hand on Dick's shoulder hesitantly. Despite his hesitance, Wally knew exactly what was happening.

Dick used to have breakdowns a lot back when they first met, soon after the death of his family. Wally would see them starting. Dick would curl into himself, begin shaking, and his breathing would become unsteady. It was much alike a panic attack, though not as severe. The redhead had become an expert at easing him through, much alike all the boy's early friends.

"Shh, Dick." He whispered. "It's fine. It'll all be fine."

He looked up at Wally, his blue eyes shining over with unshed tears. His eyebrows furrowed and his eyes squeezed shut, one single tear drop falling and rolling gently down his pale cheek. "No, Wally!" he said, quietly but urgently. "It's not. It won't be for a long time. Probably never again."

"We've made it through much worse, Rob. We can do this." Wally said, determination and a soothing tone that he could put on like a coat ringing in his deep voice. It had been a while since he'd seen Dick like this. Tension between the two was high lately. Some stupid fight they'd had a couple weeks ago. And even before that, he had been spending more and more time with the Team, or Barbara, or Tim.

"Wally we have two days!" Dick shouted, standing up and flailing his arms about his head, exaggerating how stressed he was. "Two days until Bruce is dead, and Jason is dead. Do you even _understand_ how it feels to have the people you care most about threatened?! Or _die_?!"

Tears were flowing smoothly down his face at this point, though his eyes remained closed. He began pacing, his gloved fingertips clutching at strands of shaggy black hair. Wally was torn between running to his friend and embracing him and soothing him until he was better or letting Dick release all of his pent up emotions and stress out into the open.

"No! Of course you don't!" Dick shouted, continuing his rant. "Jason and Bruce are the closest things I'd had to a family since my real family _died_! Do you understand how it would be to lose them _again_ because I couldn't save them in time!?"

The younger turned, looking at Wally. His arms hung lightly at his sides, and his face looked tired. Tired of fighting, tired of working, tired of worrying. _Tired._ His eyes were spilling tears as they looked at his long time friend, trying to convey his feelings.

His knees began to shake while Wally stared at him, his shocked and sad expression not the same as his usual stony one. Wally looked younger now, as he had when they were just kids with little stress to worry about except for being treated as adults. In a way, they'd gotten exactly what they'd wanted.

Slowly, Dick sank to his knees, his body shaking erratically. His head hung, staring at his hands which lay lifelessly in his lap. "Wally," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared. I'm scared for what will happen to Bruce on that planet, and I'm scared for what will happen to Jason with the Joker. I'm scared of what will happen to me when they're… _gone._"

Wally walked slowly towards his friend. He knelt down next to him, draping one arm over his back and the other across his chest, pulling him into a hug. "I know," he whispered as he rubbed circles on the Kevlar-lined back. "But I won't let them die. I promise."

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_The Narrows of Gotham city was a terrible place to be. Period. _

_There were no exceptions. Even cops were at risk from being shot or murdered. No one would squeal. Not anyone who would be spending time in the Narrows, anyway. _

_Only one person was safe from danger, and that was purely through agility and skill. He was the shadow that overcast the hearts of criminals, the claws of fear that dug into every illegal transaction. He was as swift as the night itself; dark and mysterious, many questioned whether he was even human. He was vengeance personified, a symbol of justice, and hope that Gotham City would one day be safe for families to take midnight strolls without small children watching their parents murdered before their eyes, safe enough for a family of traveling acrobats to perform and move on their tour as fate intended, decent enough for a mother to not overdose on drugs and leave her child with a father in prison and no way out. _

_But only the good believed in that hope. Only those who weren't forced to choose between the rich man's limousine tires and whether he felt like eating that week. _

_However, that didn't stop this symbol, this creature of the night from standing menacingly before Jason Todd, who nervously held a tire iron behind his back and the third tire of the Batmobile in front of him. _

_Batman did nothing. He didn't move, nor did he speak. He sat there, taking in the situation as a predator would observe their surroundings before deciding if the kill they were after was worth it. Jason trembled beneath his scowl, his body rigid; awaiting the fierce lashing that his own father received a time or two after a run in with the legendary bat. _

_Finally, the tension became too unbearable, too thick in the misty layer of smog that coated Gotham like a sheet. _

"_What are ya gonna do?" Jason asked hesitantly, his fingers tightening on the tire iron behind his back should he need to defend himself. He quickly told himself that was an unrealistic goal, that he couldn't take on the Bat and honestly believe he stood a chance. But he shook away his doubts, focusing on his need to survive rather than his fear of the creature before him. _

"_I want my tires back." He growled. It didn't sound like a hostile growl, merely a warning and probably a well practiced disguise voice, but not hostile. _

"_I need your tires." Jason said simply. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and his senses were so heightened he wondered if he'd done some sort of drug before he went out tonight. He could hear a slight water drip a few feet away, one drip every few seconds. He could hear the rats of the alley scuffling around in the garbage heaps searching for dinner. He could see every small line that outlined the Bat's scowl. He could smell with extreme detail the scents of the alley, the horrid odors of rotting garbage and drugs and dirty sex. _

_Everything seemed to slow down for a moment, the adrenaline of the situation heightening his senses even more. _

_Jason's imagination began to run wild with possible scenarios. If he gave the tires back, Batman could be in his gratitude, the Dark Knight would owe him one. He could even be the next Robin if he played his cards right. He could be the protégé to the Caped Crusader. Jason Todd, Robin. He could grow up and protect his own city, just like the last Robin (which rumors stated had been seen in Bludhaven as a completely new hero, making the Robin getup up for grabs). _

_But he could also keep the tires, sell them as authentic Batman merchandise, which went for pretty high to some of the big guns on the street. Criminals wanted to keep up with the Dark Knight, using his own tools against him. Whatever he left at a crime scene, scavengers like Jason would pick up and sell. He could feed himself for weeks, buy some warmer clothing, __**survive**__. This was the much more realistic route, but Jason wanted too badly to believe in the other one. _

"_Fine." He mumbled, rolling the last tire over towards the black-clad man. When he looked up, however, the man's eyes were glowing red, the eerie light leaking through the dark alley way, his pasty skin standing out against the darkness of his cowl. Even worse, the blood red smile that had formed on his stoic features._

_He caught the tire without breaking his expression, tossing it aside carelessly and approaching the young boy, who now trembled with fear. Even a small street rat like himself could recognize that this wasn't the Batman, and the Joker was one even experienced dealers would mess with. _

"_You think you could work with me, little boy?" the man said, edging closer. "You think you have what it takes to be a Bat? You think you could even attempt to be worth my time and stand in the shadow of someone so great?" _

_Suddenly, another body littered the alley behind Jason, the same facial expression littering his features. He was dressed in a dark outfit much alike Batman's, only a large blue bird-like symbol was evident on his chest, and his domino mask did not cover the shaggy hair that fell in folds around his sculpted features. _

'_Nightwing,' Jason thought, now not even attempting to hide his own fear. 'The first Robin.' _

"_Don't even try, kid." The man said, stepping closer so as to stop the youngest present from escaping the two vigilantes. "You'll never be as good as me. You'll never impress him as much as I did." _

_Jason almost lashed out violently against the words, knowing he could prove himself should he be given the chance. But instead, giving into the frightened child within him, he turned and made a run for it, his heart beats now pumping wildly and blocking his heightened senses from functioning normally. He couldn't see anymore, and it didn't help that he'd come face-first to a well sculpted chest, his nostrils erratically breathing in the scents of Kevlar and sweat. _

_The small boy turned again, prepared to make another attempt at escape, but he felt a powerful fist slam into his jaw, the horrid sound of metal breaking bone filling the alley and blocking out the sound of his own heart beats. He looked up, tears almost in his eyes at this point, to see both Nightwing and Batman standing over him, the grins turned into dour expressions. _

"_You'd never have been good enough. You'd never have compared." Batman said, his voice stone cold and hatred oozing from every syllable. "And you never will." _

He raised the bar once more, preparing to strike again, when something hard and fast slammed into his cheek, dropping him in an instant. He looked up, rubbing his jaw, the permanent smile turned into a glower at whoever shot a punching glove arrow at his jaw. He had little time to process that it was an arrow as he stood, a large pistol already at the ready.

"Hey!" Harley shrieked, holding a bazooka over one shoulder while the other hand propped angrily at her hip. "Who shot that at Mistah J?!"

Another arrow came shooting down from above, encasing Harley in a thick, green net. The girl struggled, calling out to the Joker for assistance, and not taking it personally when she was brutally ignored.

The Clown Prince of Crime stopped for a moment, hurriedly inspecting the arrow. His scowl quickly turned back into his evil smile as a sick realization spread through his mind, stained with psychotic ideas and joyful memories.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," The Joker sang out, twirling the pistol in one hand and his recently used crowbar in the other. "Archery Girl."

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With Harley taken out, the rest of this recon-turned-rescue mission was a synch. Joker had proven himself time and time again to be a failure at hand to hand combat. She felt the familiar feeling of three bat-a-rangs place themselves in the nook between her fingers, aiming for the ground at the Joker's feet, hoping to take him out with the explosions.

She pressed the button on each, waiting for the timer to do its job, when she felt a rough slam into the crook of her neck. Letting out a loud groan, Barbara fell forward off of the hidden catwalk she and Artemis had perched themselves on. She heard Artemis' grunt of pain soon follow her own just before she crashed into the half-filled balloon-covered floor.

She glanced up, frantically searching around for the three explosives she had dropped on her way down.

"I found 'em, boss!" the thug who'd shoved both girls over the edge called. But his muffled cry towards the clown was hidden by one explosion, shortly followed by two more. One was still on the catwalk, the force of the explosion breaking the structure at one end, sending to goon flailing down.

Straight into the force wave of the other disc.

And the third not too soon after.

The two on the floor had been closer to Artemis and Batgirl than they'd have liked them to be. Barbara felt the hot wind that comes before an explosion force her hair back, and she quickly hid both her hair and her head beneath her fire-resistant cape and did her best to shield Artemis also. However, the archer's choice of midriff-exposing tank top wasn't exactly ideal for an explosion, and Barbara couldn't even begin to shield them both.

After the explosions had ended, Barbara shakily stood to find the Joker leaning on his crowbar casually, waiting for them to be done with their shenanigans so he could get on with it. She looked down.

Artemis' outfit was singed at the edges, exposing even more of her tummy and some of her thigh on each leg. Her hair was more than ruffled, but overall, she and Barbara were both fine. Batgirl briefly glanced around for the thug who pushed them over, and decided he was nowhere to be found. It was unlikely he survived the fall without being rendered unconscious. It was even more unlikely he'd died though, so Barbara was content with forgetting about him right now.

She focused on herself for the moment.

She couldn't hear. The huge boom from the bombs had left her ear drums temporarily out of order. She had a small wound from some of the small amount of wreckage that had become of the catwalk. Though small, the wound was deep, and blood flowed freely through the reinforced fibers of her armored costume. Overall, she would live. But she wasn't currently at her best, which was never good when going up against the Joker.

His ruby red lips began to move, and Barbara could almost hear him. The heard parts of words, and a few actual phrases here and there. But that was it.

"Hello, lad-… -ice of…. –oin us….Bird Boy a f-…. Manners…..free to par-…next anyways." He said unclearly, and began swinging his crowbar casually. Barbara gulped. She saw Jason, frantically shaking on the bed. He was close to tears, and strapped in X formation, murmuring something about 'Batman, give me a chance,' and it broke her heart.

She watched near helplessly as the Joker approached her. Suddenly, she was no longer in the warehouse with Jason. She was a fresh-on-the-streets vigilante on her first big case, strapped to a chair and being beaten with a crowbar.

"_Hold still, new girl." He said joyfully. "We'll have to break you in, just like Boy Blunder."_

She shook her head because _focus, Barbara. You're not a rookie anymore,_ and looked down at Artemis. She helped the blonde to her feet, attempting to read her lips but unable to.

"I CAN'T HEAR!" she heard herself shout. Then suddenly her ears popped and she heard everything.

Laughter. It was the first thing. It filled her eardrums like poison and flowed through her mind, staining her every thought with a horrific flashback. She could feel each and every cut and bruise again, feel the needle enter her skin, the poison flow painfully into her veins. She saw KF and Robin running frantically towards her seemingly lifeless body.

"Batgirl!"

Suddenly, a metal object crushed her jaw, sending her flying to the floor. She looked up, but no matter where she looked all she could see was that smile, and hear his laughter erupting from his psychotic throat like a fire hose, and she would feel her chest contracting and her muscles tightening against every hit that she knew was happening. But she couldn't pull herself out of this daze to fight back. She didn't have it in her. She couldn't fight against the flashbacks, the resurfacing memories that she'd spent so long burying.

Now, she was tied to a chair again, Artemis unconscious next to her, Jason laying in the bed on her other side. He had finally passed out, the fear and exhaustion probably overcoming him. Joker had new playthings now. He would finally get a break.

"Well, Batgirl. Long time no see." Joker mused, leaning on her knees with his face inches from hers. "Don't you move, I'm going to go get my camera. Wouldn't want Wing Nut and Flash Boy getting worried about you two. I'll just tell them you're safe, back with your Uncle J."

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**TA DUH. **

**Extra long. Because I've been late the past couple updates and I felt bad Also, sorry if my grammar sucks. I'm really tired and don't feel like proofreading right now. **

**REVIEW ANSWERS:**

**Alex Skywalker:**** You have no idea how nice it is to hear from you again! I love your reviews! Anyway, thanks! I worked really hard on that part about Jason. I didn't know much about his origins so I actually looked them up. And thank you! I looked back at Over the Limit the other day and I didn't recognize it either. I was like 'I wrote that?' Haha. XD I hope this chapter was as good as the last one. **

**Mockinjay013:**** Captain America. Or Deadpool. For various reasons. **

**Mixxi****: That's what I was going for. XD **

**READINGhearts17: ****I know! Part of me feels bad for writing it, but another part loves it. I'm so conflicted.**

**GwenuitHolland:**** I totally understand that. Haha. It's okay though, I'm glad you liked it when you did read it. :) I couldn't wait either! Did you like it?! I did. just throwing that out there.I always update eventually. Haha **

**I'm sorry if I missed anyone this time, my internet is being aubhakrhgiajf;ja**

**The question game from last chapter is still open by the way. Throwing that out there. **

**REVIEW PLEASE!**

_**~Charlie~**_


	16. Chapter 16 Nostalgia and Terror

**HEY GUYS! Don't worry, my trademark fangirling will be in the AN at the end of the chapter, so I'm going to do review answers now. **

**Alex Skywalker: ****Thank you so much! I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes me. I figured, we haven't been getting much Nightwing/Wally action at all, so I'd make some, and I'd make it nice and heartwarming and feelsy and such. Because this is FanFiction and I can do that. **

**READINGhearts17****: I KNOW! I'm like a huge Red Hood fan (or have become one since I started looking at his character for this story) and just writing it makes me want to cry a little. But it's such good material I can't just NOT write it! **

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"Dick!"

"Master Timothy, please don't run in the house!" Alfred called after Tim, who was racing down the hallway towards Dick's spare bedroom, a small parcel tucked neatly under his arm. He ignored Alfred, simply moving as fast as he could. "And you _know_ you are not to wear your costume upstairs!" the butler chastised.

Again, Tim ignored him, choosing to scream the elder's name once more.

A sleepy-headed Dick Grayson walked out into the hallway, and Tim stopped in his tracks, a slight pang of grief striking his heart. But it was too late, Dick would never go back to the sleep he so desperately needed if he wasn't given an answer as to why Tim had frantically awoken the entire manor. His bare chest didn't even catch the youth's eye, despite the severe marring of the otherwise perfect flesh, the edges of the H dipping below the line of his Batman pajama pants.

"What?!" Dick asked, trying to look as alert as he sounded, and almost succeeding. His blood shot eyes were strained wide, only pulling forth the effect of making him look sleepier than he was. His back went rigid when Tim hesitantly pulled the parcel out from under his arm.

It was small, rectangular in shape. It could've come in the mail or something. Except that it was covered in not only green and purple smiley faces, but three different shades of red. Sloppily written HA'S were covering the brown paper that covered it, the 'ink' dripping down the sides before it had dried after being written. Tim looked at it worriedly, before looking up at Dick, moving the parcel towards the older shakily. "He said it was for you…"

The eldest son of the Bat glanced at the most recent. His hands shook, his face wrinkled around the mask. Tim still wasn't used to wearing a mask for extended periods of time, the adhesive and his skin reacting negatively. Jason's skin had been the same…

"What _else_ did he say?" Dick asked, cautiously taking the box. "Why did you go after the Joker alone?"

Tim sighed, turning to leave, expecting the other to follow, which of course he did. The youngest Robin walked down the stairs, toward the living room. He stood before the couch, motioning for Dick to hand him the box once more, before he opened it.

It was a VHS, and Dick almost laughed because _really Joker? Still using a VHS?_ The black tape had a small note attached, which Tim peeled off and read aloud.

"Watch, Batsy, and go faster." His eyes narrowed as he scrutinized the piece of paper, looking at it so closely he probably wouldn't need a microscope. "It's written in blood…" he shuddered, his masked gaze briefly turning towards the shredding wrapping before popping the tape into the VHS player and sat beside Dick on the couch.

"I was doing my rounds of patrol, since Batgirl had already gone on patrol and hadn't come back yet I figured I could help her out, you know?" Tim began, waiting for the tape to start.

_Babs left?_ Dick thought, his eyes widening for such a brief moment even Tim missed it.

"I found this girl being attacked by two really big guys, so I took them out. Long story short, the girl was Harley. Before she completely knocked me out, she said, 'Give this to the big guy,' and then I passed out. When I woke up, I had this." Tim finished. Dick was about to comment on the fact that not only should Tim have called for help, but if Babs hadn't come back yet then, and he was certain she wasn't back yet now… But a shriek from the TV interrupted him.

"_Hey, Bats!" Joker said, his face uncomfortably close to the camera. He was smiling, as always, but his eye brows were pulled together, giving his pasty white face an especially evil look. "Guess who came to play!" _

_Suddenly, the camera zoomed out, showing Jason tied to a chair, unconscious. His bare torso was covered in wounds and blood, and his face had large, swelling bruises on both sides beneath and around his mask. _

"_Hoodie, the founder of our little club," Joker's voice sang from somewhere off camera._

_The view suddenly shifted towards the left, to reveal Batgirl, also unclothed, minus the bra. Her cowl was burned around the edges, and her eyes were wide with panic. Her mouth hung open fearfully, but other than a few bruises, she looked unharmed. "Baby Bats, one of the new members," the voice said again. Barbara shrieked when she heard it so close to her face, her limbs thrashing about violently as she tried to break loose, to get away. _

_Once more, the camera shifted view. Artemis was tied to the next chair, her head hanging forward and a particularly bloody wound at the edge of her hairline. Her long blonde hair had been let down, and her shirt had also been removed, though the mask remained intact. Her costume was also burned around the edges, and severely on her thighs. Bright, angry red marks formed against her tan, Vietnamese skin, marring the perfection of her flesh. "And Archie, bringing up the rear!" _

_The camera zoomed out again, showing all three at the same time. "Drink it in Bats, you've only got two days left." _

_Jason's head lolled to the side slightly, his lips forming swollen words his dry tongue couldn't quite fathom. The camera zoomed in, and began shaking, as though the cameraman was walking hurriedly towards the waking boy. _

"_Shhhh!" Joker whispered to someone else, or possibly at the camera. "He's trying to tell us something from the great beyond!" _

_Jay's face scrunched up, his nose wrinkling underneath the crimson fabric hiding his identity as he continued to roll his head around his shoulders, trying to speak. "H-h-help…. Meee…." He mumbled, before Joker's white hand was seen slapping him across the face and his head fell forward once more, proving him to be out for a while. _

"_That wasn't nearly as entertaining as I thought it would be." Joker huffed, the camera showing his pouty face directly next to Jason's head. "Don't worry, B Man, I've got some new toys so I won't be bored for a while," The camera shook profusely once more, the image on screen going blurry until it successfully focused on Joker uncomfortably close to Barbara's terrified eyes. "And I think I'll start with you, because you're just so fun!" _

_The girl's body was visibly shaking as she bit her lower lip, obviously trying not to cry out. "You have two weeks, big man!" Joker shouted excitedly before he ran towards the camera, laughing as loud as he could with his condition. When he ran into the camera man, the screen went fuzzy and the video ended. _

Only static remained, and though it appeared the boys were both watching the television, neither actually were.

Dick's heart leaped to his throat. How had Joker gotten both Batgirl and Artemis? Wally was going to kill him. Wally was going to kill him, then bring him back to life just so he could kill him again. And Jason…

Jay looked so hurt, so scared. He had never heard the boy sound that terrified, and had only rarely heard him ask for help. Jason was going to die if Dick didn't do something. Jason could die anyway, just because the Joker got tired of waiting. He still would have Batman as leverage over Dick, and there was nothing the eldest Robin could do to stop it.

Tim looked shocked when Dick abruptly stood up and began pacing, before practically ripping the VHS player out of the wall and storming towards the front door. He knew he was going to Wally's, and he knew it would be bad when Wally saw, but he also knew he couldn't stop him. But that didn't mean he wouldn't try.

"Dick, wait, I'll come with you." Tim said, chasing after him. "Just let me change and we'll go. You should probably put on a shirt too…"

"Tim, it'll be better coming from me. Wally needs to know." Dick said, completely ignoring just about everything his successor just said. "Besides, we need to hurry now. This video was probably made yesterday, meaning we only have one day left."

"Then I really need to go! Dick I can help!" Tim all but shouted.

"What was it, Master Timothy?" Alfred said, suddenly appearing out of Bruce's study, probably using the fax machine for butler-y reasons. "Where are you taking the video player?!" he all but shouted.

"Wally's." Dick said shortly, pulling on a white jacket and heading towards the door. "Tim you can change in the car. We're leaving, now." He said, his voice hard and cold and distant. If Tim didn't know any better, he'd have thought it was Bruce commanding him around.

By the time Tim started for the door, Dick was already gone. "We're going to Wally's, Al! We'll be back eventually." He called as he walked out the door, his cape, utility belt and gloves laying in his wake behind him.

"Always the same," Alfred murmured, picking up Robin's discarded clothes. "Youth never changes." And a small smile could barely be seen lighting the old man's features, if only for a brief moment.

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Looking out the window at the lonesome planet before him, he felt himself missing home. He missed the smell of fresh cookies; he missed the feeling of his way-too-expensive bed sheets wrapped around him in a giant heap after a long night of patrol; he missed the feeling of wrapping his body in darkness. Most of all, however, he missed his sons.

And it is for this reason, Batman pulled a small holographic computer from his utility belt, the blue hue of the screen radiating off the lonely walls of his one-man jail cell. Rimborg was a strang planet, leaving him with all his utensils, yet separating him from his team mates. Logical, yet foolish.

On the screen, an image glowed lifelessly, yet comfortingly, throughout the room. In the image, Dick Grayson was smiling as though he'd just won the lottery; a huge toothy grin, the one that Bruce remembered waking up to on Christmas, on his birthday, even on Valentine's day once. He missed that smile. The boy had his right arm wrapped firmly around the neck of a certain bemused Jason Todd, whose pure black hair fell sloppily into his crystal blue eyes. Although Jason had never admitted it, Bruce could tell even now the boy loved hugging Dick. Jason had an odd sense of warmth that Bruce could always detect, and no matter what the boy said, he would _always_ love his brother. Alfred stood in the background, holding a dirty platter of cookies that had been knocked down by Dick himself. The old man had an annoyed look on his face, though a loving sparkle in his eye.

Batman smiled warmly at the photo, remembering that Memorial day fondly. A simple picnic that had been interrupted by Wally and Artemis's arrival, at which point a certain speedster at all the food and proceeded to ask Alfred for more. Then Barbara arrived, giving the dire news that Commissioner Gordon had been kidnapped, and the Bat Clan had immediately deployed to find the Bat's oldest friend.

Casually, Bruce flipped through the slide show Alfred had secretly prepared for him and stowed away in his holo-computer before the Bat left. There were pictures of Barbara and Dick from early on in their friendship, Jason just after he'd moved in and wasn't yet used to Dick, Tim trying to defeat Jason in a violent video game.

Suddenly, a picture made Bruce stop, his mind clouded with feelings of both nostalgia and worry for his family.

Bruce himself stood in the picture, sleeping on the couch with a half empty bowl of popcorn on his lap. He was in full Batman attire, minus the cape and cowl, the former of which lay on his lap, acting as a blanket to the sleeping man. Resting on his right shoulder was Jason, his nose a bright red hue as he slept, his ill face looking more peaceful than Bruce ever remembered about his wayward son. He was also in his full Robin attire, using the cape as a blanket and the mask casually lying on the back of the couch behind him. Both were sleeping peacefully, and the look on Dick Grayson's face was almost priceless.

It was clear he had taken the picture, as the camera was placed at an odd angle and his face took up a good third of the screen, indicating he'd used his phone and held it a ways in front of his face. His blue eyes were open wide, his needed-to-be-cut-again hair felling into his long eyelashes. The smile on his face was abnormally huge, revealing all his perfectly lined up teeth, his lopsided tongue, and even the uvula placed in the back of his throat.

Bruce had never seen this picture, he didn't know it existed until now. But it brought warmth to his heart, for he remembered that evening far too well also. Jason had the flu, and Alfred demanded he be given the night off. Bruce, giving way to the inner parent within him, decided to take the night off with his adopted son. The two shared a bowl of popcorn and watched 1,000 Ways to Die (despite the ten minute argument about whether or not the deaths in the show were real or fake) until both had drifted to sleep.

A rough knocking on the cell room door had Bruce pulling his cowl back up and shutting down the holo-screen. It was time for the trial.

********************************LINE BREAKER!************************************

**AWWWWWW. **

**Yes I checked in with Bruce, because I have yet to see someone do it the way I think it would be done, and that's not necessarily it, but it's closer than the way some authors are doing it. Not saying other writers are wrong, I just prefer my version. XD **

**Anyway, episode review time. **

**OH MY GOD. ARTEMIS AND M'GANN AND KALDUR AND SUPERBOY AND LA'GAAN KNOW AND I WAS SCREAMING AND MY GRANDMOTHER THOUGHT I WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK OR A STROKE AND SHE ACTUALLY OFFERED ME SOME OF HER MEDICATION AND I WAS A BIT WORRIED. **

**I can't believe Nightwing told Conner and Lagoon Boy! I literally never expected that. I didn't think he'd tell anyone even if he was totally busted. Not until the mission was no longer at stake. I thought that was kind of the point, was that he was sacrificing so much for the mission just like Batman but then he said in Season 1 that he wouldn't do that because he didn't want to be Batman. Did no one else think that? Just me? Oh. **

**I also kind of want to know what's going on between Conner and Miss Martian. I used to hate SuperMartian, because I can, but now I want it back because I hate her with Lagoon Boy even more. No reason, I just find La'gaan insanely annoying and kind of bitchy. Personal opinion right there.**

**And I'm glad Artemis found a way around Psimon, because I was genuinely worried that he would find out and then he would be like 'I'm going to rewrite his memory so he really is a traitor and he knows that you're faking and he kills you for reals' or 'I'm so going to use this against you, because I'm the bad guy and that's what bad guys do and you're going to do everything I say or I'll blow your cover blah blah blah.' Kind of like Queen Bee did to Miss Martian in Season 1. I mean, I figured she would figure something out and save the entire mission, but I also had this sinking feeling that Greg and Brandon would just kill me by killing Artemis. For real this time, though. **

**Can I be blamed? Greg and Brandon have a thing for leaving us with horrible cliff hangers and murdering our feels. **

**Kind of wished we'd have gotten a little bit more Nightwing and Tim action in True Colors, though. A bit disappointed on that. I feel like each season they only give the Robin one episode of character development and then they're done. That kind of makes me sad, but hey. What am I going to do? **

**Anyway, those are my opinions. If you have a comment on those or any of your own opinions I'd love to hear them, so please leave them in a review or PM me is you're shy, because I'm shy too. It's okay. **

**Also, if you have any predictions or questions about the chapter. I understand sometimes my creative process (no, why would I call it odd style of writing? XD ) is hard to follow, so feel free to question it. Honestly, I don't mind. **

**Otherwise, review kindly. Or not, I honestly don't mind. **

**REVIEW! **

_**~Charlie~**_


	17. NOT A CHAPTER JUST AN UPDATE I'M SORRY

**OHMYGOD I HAVE MISSED YOU SO MUCH!**

**There's a reason I haven't updated in a few months I think? That in itself is a story, though a short one. **

**So I have been telling my parents that I don't have homework every day so I can hang out with my friends after school and then going to places with my friends that I'm technically not supposed to go to. NEWSFLASH: That is a bad idea. Turns out, when they realized I had actually had homework I just hadn't been doing it, I started failing. And when I started failing literally every class I'm in, they got suspicious of what I do after school. Long story short, I totally got busted and was incidentally grounded indeffinately. **

**BUT I'M BACK NOW GUYS I'M SO EXCITED! I'll never do that to you again I promise. /3 **

**But, I do have some sad news. Since Young Justice has officially ended, I've been getting more involved in other fandoms. Mainly Supernatural (because Dean Winchester I mean come on) and have placed my interests elsewhere. Now, I promise I will finish this story, and my other ones. But they will probably be my last Young Justice stories. **

**However, I have been working on a few Batman stories, and I've been trying to broaden my horizons by going out of my writing comfort zone, so if you like my writing and like Batman or Supernatural, stick around. (I'm also doing Johnny the Homicidal Maniac for those of you who care, but those are mostly for my friend because she **_**really**_** likes those books?) **

**Soon, I hope to start writing some more crack fics, maybe some smut here and there. If you have any challenges or ideas for stories that you'd like to see me write, let me know because I'm accepting requests for one-shots. Or full blown stories I mean, yeah. I'm really trying to write something besides angsty things where characters get the living shit beat out of them, because –believe it or not – there is more to fanfiction than beating your characters (though I feel like it's the best part). **

**Anyway, on to a happier note. Be expecting an update within the week, I'm really going to try. I'm getting pretty close to wrapping up Into the Madhouse (the first one I'll be updating), and I think Obsession is almost over too. Reflection is still somewhere in the middle though, so that one should take longer. **

**Although, with all my side projects going on I don't know if I'll get around to them at any time soon (because as previously stated) my interests have shifted to Supernatural.**

**Which, if you don't watch you really should. Not only is it a really well written and portrayed shows, it's a great fandom to be a part of. Not to mention it's a really big fandom and I doubt it will be getting cancelled any time soon. SO. Yeah, really sorry about the wait guys. **

**~Charlie~**


	18. Chapter 17 The Cure

The night sky in Palo Alto was crying thick, heavy drops onto Wally's living room window sill as he sat at the computer, furiously working on the cure. His heart was still racing (even for a speedster) after his _encounter_ with Dick. He had his feet propped on the couch as he leaned back in the spinning chair at his computer desk and his hands buried deep within his eye sockets.

He didn't even hear the window open, not until the loud sloshing of water inside shoes was heard and he looked up to see Tim, soaked to the bone standing in front of the still-open window.

A spike of resentment stabbed his heart, simply because Tim was closely associated with Dick and he had been there when Wally had watched the video, but he shoved it aside because none of this was Tim's fault. It was Dick's.

"Tim?" Wally asked as the younger boy removed his tennis shoes and hood.

The speedster instantly got up and rushed to the bedroom, grabbing Tim a spare tee shirt and a pair of pants. He was back within five seconds and handing the clothes to Tim before he was perched once more on the chair.

"Hey, Walls." The younger Robin said, pulling his light blue hoodie over his head. "How's the cure coming along?"

"It isn't." Wally groaned, glancing briefly at the computer screen once more. The screen depicted a half-full progress bar in front of multiple photos of several different components of the poison and possible ways to cure them. This was Wally's twentieth try… of the night. "I'm almost ready to call it quits, Tim." The speedster confessed. "But Artemis is counting on me."

Tim – who was fully dressed by now – looked down at the floor, unsure of what to do with this information. Wally usually told this stuff to Dick, or Artemis, but rarely ever to Tim.

"Well, you look like you've been up for hours." Tim stated, looking back at Wally's face. The young adult had pale white bags under his eyes, eerie shades of purple coloring them. His entire being had a sort of droopy appearance, and Tim felt apologetic for not being here sooner to help out in any way he could. "Why don't you take a nap and-"

"No." Wally instantly said. His features grew hard, firm and stubborn. "I can process things faster than you or Dick and I can get this done a lot faster than both of you combined. I'm the only one who can unless you want to call Barry." He rubbed one of his eyes tiredly, though maintained his firm stand on the matter.

Tim opened his mouth for a rebuttal, but before the words could roll off his tongue the computer beeped, green words flashing in a brand new notification where the progress bar had just been.

_**FORMULA COMPATIBLE**_.

And in that moment, there was a relaxing moment between the two young men. Both knew it was far from over – there was still much to do. But they had a cure now, one that would work. They had the key to lock the door on this whole mess.

Wally was staring at the screen in disbelief when he felt Tim's arms wrap around his neck, pulling him out of his chair and practically swinging him around (quite a remarkable feat considering Wally had at least thirty pounds on the younger). He heard Tim shouting things like "You did it! Wally you saved all of them!" but these words fell on dumb ears because Wally was lost in his own world right now. _I figured out the cure… I actually did it…_

Suddenly the romantic twirling stopped, Tim keeping hold of Wally's shoulders in a vice grip. "We have to tell Dick! We have to call him or find him or something before he-" Tim clamped his mouth shut. He realized what he was about to say just a little too late. Wally was hooked on the subject now.

"Before he what?" he asked suspiciously, eyeing the scrawny boy who still held him fast. "Where did he go, Tim?"

Tim looked around frantically, searching for an excuse but finding none. "He felt bad because you said it was his fault that Artemis and Barbara had been taken, so he went to get them back."

*********************************LINE BREAKER!*********************************

**So yes, it's horrible short. But it's also 1 A.M. and I'm tired and I have to get up in the morning. It would be better but I promised an update by the end of the week and I actually had a long version of this but my computer is a total butt and decided to erase it. :( Ass Butt computer. **

**REVIEW ANSWERS!**

**DragonflyThief:**** Hi! Glad to know I have a new follower! Thank you so much for reading this all in one day and then reviewing to tell me about my style! You're so nice and I hope to hear more from you after this incredibly shitty update. :)**

**GlOmP3R****: I love Jay angst too! :D Don't worry, I'm not nearly done with him yet. ;) I was thinking of having a sequal, but I'm not sure yet. What do you think? **

**Undecidable: ****Well, I loved your episode opinions. I would have commented earlier, except I have been kind of busy being grounded and stuff. So now that the series is over, what do you think about how it all played out? About your story prediction, did I surprise you? ;) I hope so. In a good way of course. And I LOVE Castiel! He's definitely a second favorite, I just watched the episode where he had his first encounter with porn XD Favorite line is when he lit Michael on fire and distracted him by shouting "Hey, Ass Butt!" I just thought that was hilarious. **

**READINGhearts17: ****I think they called him Slade then because Teen Titans was considered more of a kids show than Young Justice is. Just my guess though… **

**GwenuittHolland: ****Thanks for that inspirational review, really. It made me think twice about cancelling the sequel. What do you think about a sequel? Just curious. And thanks, I wasn't sure I quite pegged Batman's character right. Since there was no dialogue I had to get his mental character right, which is a lot harder in my opinion. I'm really not into sentimental stuff, but as I go deeper and deeper into fandoms it's rubbing off on me. :3 **

**REVIEW KINDLY! **

_**~Charlie~**_


	19. Chapter 19 The End

Dick couldn't believe it.

The cure was due _today,_ and the freaking warehouse was empty. Joker seemingly just got up and left, taking his comrades and only hope of saving their lives with him. The once colorfully decorated and prisoner ready room was now empty. Only the daunting grins and painted on "HA"s remained to prove there ever was a Joker here.

He reached up and touched his comm. to call Tim. What else could he do?

But it appeared Tim beat him to it.

"Dick!" he shouted into Nightwing's ear. The elder almost cringed at the volume of Tim's voice, but remained still. "Dick, don't go into that warehouse!"

Nightwing sighed, taking another sad glance around the empty building. "Too late." He murmured. "It doesn't matter though. The stupid place is empty."

He could've sworn that sound was Tim sighing in relief. "Good." He said excitedly. "Wally and I found the cure. We need to meet up." Tim paused for a moment before saying, "Stay in the warehouse. We're on our way."

Then, without waiting for a reply, he hung up.

_**********************************LINE BREAKER!**********************************_

Tim clung to Wally's neck, the yellow fabric creasing around his gloved fingers. He didn't understand how Dick used to do this with the speedster when he was still able to fit on Wally's back. The wind rushing through your face was horribly unpleasant and it made his eyes tear up even through the mask. Besides, it's not like Wally has the best footing or grip. The two could tumble to their super speed death any minute now.

But there were no Zeta tubes for just getting across Gotham, and Wally was faster than Tim's bike.

Soon the speedster was skidding to a rocky halt and Tim was climbing off his back and jogging uneasily towards the door. Tucked away safely in a padded compartment in his utility belt was a small vile filled to the brim with freshly made yellow liquid. Tim hadn't planned on commenting on the eerily similar appearance it held to urine until Wally very loudly, and very immaturely, said, "Ew! That looks like piss."

The latest Robin burst through the door of the abandoned warehouse to find that it was, in fact, abandoned. Nightwing sat on the floor near the back door holding a small piece of paper in his hands. He had angrily crumpled it and then uncrumpled it, and now sat staring at it.

"What's that?" Tim asked as he raced towards his brother.

Dick looked up at him with grateful eyes. "Do you have it?" He asked. He stood from his position and grabbed Tim's shoulders firmly. "Did you guys really figure it out?"

"Yeah," Tim said quietly. He pulled the cure out from his utility belt and held it in front of Nightwing's masked eyes, displaying it proudly for the world to see.

Dick pulled his little brother into a hug, laughing happily into his shoulder. This action honestly surprised Tim. Despite how used to working with Nightwing he was – and how much he knew that Dick Grayson was most definitely a hugger – he was more used to working with Batman. Had this entire situation been Batman rather than Nightwing, Tim would not have received a hug as a reward for finding the cure.

The younger wrapped his small arms around Nightwing's shoulders awkwardly, smiling into his brother's laughs. Dick pulled back, smiling one of the most earnest smiles Tim had ever seen on the boy's face.

"Joker left this," Nightwing said as an answer to Tim's first question. He held up the paper with the red writing on it. Tim cringed at the thought that perhaps the ink used was blood, but read the not anyway.

_If you want them to live, you must go where it began!_

Tim's eyes squinted in confusion. "Where it began?" he asked. "Does he mean where he was keeping you guys hostage?"

Dick glanced at Wally, but then replied, "No." he looked down at the note once more. "He means where we made the deal. Joyland."

_**********************************LINE BREAKER!**********************************_

Just like all those years ago when Dick had first sat perched on a rooftop scoping out the amusement park, the night was calm. The wind blew gently around him, moving his dark hair. He wore no cape this time, but he could still hear Tim's flapping with the breeze. Wally's heat was keeping him from shivering in the cold, Gotham air while he searched for signs of life.

The buildings were still marked with Joker's signatures from five years ago. The paint was fading away, but it still glowed like a neon sign. Some of the signs had been freshly painted over, indicating that Joker was in fact residing here for the time being.

Nightwing sighed, almost nervously. "He's here." he confirmed, standing up. Grabbing Wally around the waist, he reached for his grapple and fired. Tim's own line shot out next to his and the younger leaped off the rooftop behind the two elders.

Wally landed first. Dick released him after he began to pull and he landed in a summersault before getting up and doing a quick perimeter check. As the others landed he came sprinting back. Without a word, he nodded and switched to stealth mode.

Robin and Nightwing looked at each other before moving forward, already knowing which entrances who was covering. Nightwing had the cure safely stowed in his utility belt and he would be the one to confront Joker and retrieve their friends. Tim and Wally would remain in the shadows and see if Nightwing would need backup, or if Joker didn't keep up his end of the deal. Joker wouldn't get a cure if their friends were not there. They had already decided that. They wouldn't settle for an address. The hostages, in the flesh.

Nightwing looked up realizing he was alone now. Tim and Wally were stationing themselves, Tim in a vent near the main room of the Fun House and Wally near the back entrance.

Nightwing sighed, trying to steady himself. The sick feeling in his stomach didn't subside with the intake of oxygen though. His body was fighting his every movement he made toward the front door.

Dick looked up at the building. He was lost in his memories and almost didn't notice the bright green X over the word 'Fun' above the door. In its place, 'Mad' had been spray painted.

A white clough appeared by his mouth as he laughed. "Welcome to the Mad House." He whispered quietly before looking down. "Yeah, no kidding."

And then he stepped inside.

Mirrors lined both walls and the ceiling, making it horribly difficult to navigate the building. However, Dick had heat sensor lenses installed in his mask: something he didn't have the last time he confronted Joker here. He switched them on and looked around.

He could see Tim's heat signature. The red form was smaller, and higher up than the rest. He could also see Wally's. His was brighter red than all the others' and further away from him. In the center of the building there were four other heat signatures. _Four? _Dick thought. There should've been five. _Maybe Joker left his girlfriend at home. _Two of these signatures were sitting back to back and hard to tell apart, almost forming an orange blob. Another was a few feet away and also on the floor. The last wasn't much of a _heat_ signature. It was a light blur, with a small orange blob in the center. That must've been Joker. He must be dying. _Really_ dying.

Nightwing moved forward, keeping his eye on the signatures. The remained still despite the occasional pacing Joker did. He navigated through the maze of mirrors until he finally walked into the opening in which Joker's hostages lay.

He flipped off his heat sensors and looked around. Artemis and Batgirl were sitting on the floor, back to back. A few feet away from them, also on the floor, Harley Quinn was crouched on the ground watching Joker – who had his back turned to Dick – as he mumbled quietly to himself.

Once he'd been spotted (by Harley, of all people) Joker stopped pacing and turned around. "Oh, Mistah J, Wing Nut's here!" she screeched.

The infamous smile grew wide when green eyes met the blue bird. Joker looked terrible, his veins a sickly purple color and sticking out repulsively. His hair was like a big green cotton mess atop his head. It stuck up in every place as though he'd just stuck his hand in a electrical socket. His lips were chapped and the red seemed to have dimmed, but was hastily covered up by red lipstick (Dick decided now was not the time to make a drag queen joke about the Joker). Even his suit looked dingy, as though he'd been sweating heavily in it.

"Ah, Nightwing," Joker said simply. "Have you got my cure? Because if you don't, I'll probably blast Ginger first." He held out his gloved hand and curled his fingertips expectantly, slowly. The gesture was creepy but demanding. And Nightwing knew the consequences if he didn't comply.

He squinted, looking around once more. These were all the heat signatures in the building. "Where's Red?" he asked skeptically.

Joker laughed, turning towards Harley and clapping his hands expectantly. "Harley! The giant touch screen!" he called. Harley got up and pulled out an iPad (_Fancy, considering you're still using VHS_) from a small satchel at her side. She giggled girlishly and then stood next to Joker with her hands intertwined as she stared at him. Her adoring gaze hurt Dick's heart, and he wished he could do something for her. But he couldn't, and right now he didn't really care.

Joker touched the screen a few times and then flipped the device around, showing him Jason; tied to the same chair he'd been strapped to in the VHS. He was awake, but his mouth was duct taped shut. He appeared to be alone, though there easily could've been a Joker goon somewhere off to the side. In the lower corner of the screen, red lights flashed _**LIVE**_.

"What the hell is this?" Dick asked angrily. "This wasn't the deal!" He could hear Barbara snort viciously but he ignored her probable sarcastic comment in favor of figuring out what the hell Joker was pulling.

"This," Joker said, gesturing to the screen. "Is reassurance that I'll be getting out of here alive. And Free."

Dick almost lunged. "You son of a bitch,"

"Hey!" Joker shouted angrily. "My mother was a lady and she wouldn't much like your tone!" he pouted playfully before the smile lit his features once more. "Oh, I couldn't stay mad at you, Wing Nut! You're too much fun."

He giggled gleefully while Nightwing fumed a few feet away. His fists clenched at his sides and his body flushed a dark shade of red. Breathing became a struggle, and he could feel the darkness that came with rage overpowering his vision. Tim must've seen, because he was radioing Nightwing.

"_Dick, just give him the cure, and save Babs and Artemis. Wally will go and get Jay. It'll be okay."_

Dick took a few breaths. _In and out, _he thought patiently. _In and out._

"Give me that address," he growled. "Or you won't get your cure." Dick's eyes were low, looking up at the Joker as though he was a predator eyeing down his prey. His muscles tightened and he readied to pounce.

Joker shook his pointer finger disappointedly. "I think you have more on the line than I do, bird boy." He whispered demonically. His voice was low, creeping its way into Nightwing's head and sending chills down his spine. "Give me the antidote, and I'll tell you where your misfit is."

Nightwing hesitated in reaching back towards his utility belt. But as soon as his gaze shifted towards Barbara and their eyes met, and he saw the fear floating in her oceanic eyes, he knew he had to save her. And he had to save her now. He didn't trust the Joker, but three was better than none. He reached back and pulled out the cure, holding the small vile up for Joker to see. Extending his arm, he carefully handed the tube of liquid over to the maniac and watched as Joker cried in glee.

"Now where is he?" Nightwing asked as Joker examined his antidote.

The clown seemed irritated by this interruption, though he looked up at Nightwing anyhow. "He is in an old warehouse on the left hand corner of Baker Street. But you won't make it in time."

A smile darkened Joker's features, and Nightwing knew he was already too late.

_**********************************LINE BREAKER!**********************************_

Tick. Tick. Tick.

Seconds ticked away. Seconds of a life just gone. It made one stop and truly realize how meaningful a few precious seconds could be. Jason was so familiar with this feeling. He could see the glowing red numbers, watching himself die in their reflection. The growing sensation of self pity and loathe for a certain clown grew in his stomach.

He didn't want to die. At least, not the same way. An exploding warehouse at the hands of a freak with no fashion sense was so last year. If Jason was going to bite the dust, he wanted to go down fighting. There was nothing honorable about being strapped to a chair during an explosion.

There were so many things he'd never get to do. But he'd already been through this speech. And to be honest, Jason had done a lot more than most people by his age. He's already died once, he's not a virgin, he's saved a life, he's taken a life, he's felt weightless, he's felt powerless, he's seen the Gotham sky that few even know exist. He's soared beneath the stars with nothing above him and nothing below him.

He really has no room to talk about things he wished he'd done.

But, there was still a list.

Despite what he said, he wanted to sort out his problems with Bruce. He wanted to tell Barbara he really thought she was pretty. He wanted to steal Tim's laptop and hide it in Dick's room. He wanted to buy a house, not a shitty apartment in the slums. He wanted to sabotage one of Bruce's stupid charity balls. He wanted to hang upside down from the chandelier in Wayne Manor. He wanted to shoot the Joker in the skull.

Jason sighed, glancing back up at the glowing red countdown of doom. Five minutes and counting until he dies.

He half heartedly tested his binds once more. Despite already knowing the metal clasps on his wrists were not going to release him he felt he should at least put forth the effort. He should at least try to survive.

He didn't bother pretending to believe someone would save him. Jason hated the feeling that he had in the pit of his stomach last time when he finally realized Bruce hadn't made it. He still wondered sometimes if Bruce even tried to save him.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Jason knew Bruce tried to save him. What he really wondered was more along the lines of, _if it had been Dick, would he have tried harder._

One minute left.

_How am I going to spend my last minute this time?_ He wondered, moving his jaw around the uncomfortably placed duct tape. He didn't want to spend it wondering about his problems with Bruce. That seemed too depressing to die to. He wanted to die at least somewhat happily this time.

So he thought about girls.

But his dirty, blissful thoughts were interrupted by the loud speaker. _"Good morning, bird brain! Well actually it isn't morning. It's 11:59. But whatever."_ The metal clasps on his hands came undone as the speaker continued. _"You have thirty seconds left to live. But, since I've already pulled this prank before, I figured I'd do something different this time. I've given you a chance at survival. The way I see it, if you win, I get to play with you some more. But if I win, you die! So really, it's a win/win for me! Well, good luck, Red." _

Jason had already ripped the duct tape off his lips (accidentally pulling the mask along with it) and was now feverishly working on untying his feet. He glanced up at the clock. 25 seconds until midnight and until he blew up again. He had to move. Jason had only finished untying one foot.

_This would be a lot fucking easier with one of my knives._

15 seconds.

He began kicking frantically to get the other foot loose.

10 seconds.

The rope broke under the pressure, and Jason Todd searched frantically for an exit.

5 seconds.

The door was all the way across the room.

4 seconds.

He ran as fast as he could.

2 seconds.

He could hear the last tick of the clock… he was so close…

1 second.

_**********************************LINE BREAKER!**********************************_

**TA DA! **

**And here we see Charlie being a total bitch for ending the story there. **

**NO WORRIES. I am already working on a sequel. Keep your heads on straight, lovelies. I can't really think of a title for the sequel (and probably the ending of what I'm calling the Madhouse Trilogy) and that's what is pretty much stopping me from posting the first chapter right now. I'd ask for your guys' help, but I'd need to give away the story and I want you to suffer for at least a day on that ending. ;) **

**But before the sequel, I have an epilogue I'll probably post tomorrow. I honestly can't believe I finished this story and am still so excited about the sequel. Thank you to anyone and everyone who reviewed or helped me better my writing. Or just messaged me and made me get off my lazy ass and write another chapter. :) I love you guys. **

**REVIEW ANSWERS**

**Masqueraded Angel: ****Thanks! :3 I hope you love this one too. :D **

**Soccerin19:**** Well lucky you I have a sequel. :D but I'm sorry, no Joker v. Nightwing this time. :/ Maybe I'll write some into the sequel. Then again, maybe not. You'll have to just read to find out. :3**

**DragonflyThief:**** No worries. I love all reviews, though I really really love long ones. So those are much appreciated. :P Hah, I hope you like cliffhangers. In my opinion, that ^^^ right there is a pretty annoying cliff hanger. I mean if I was a reader reading my own stories I would probably hate myself, because I give cliffhangers. They're so fun to write. And such great places to end chapters. And Tim was wearing just civilian clothes. He wasn't naked, no worries. Wally gave him other clothes because his were soaking wet. I'll try to space out the ellipsis a little bit more. Though usually I just put the period three times and my computer does what it wants. Thanks for the advice. :D **

**Blaze Grayson a.k.a. Dark Wing:**** First of all, cool name. An OC I presume? And thank you. :D **

**GlOmP3R: ****You my friend have a very difficult name to type. It's clever though. I like it. And I hope I satiated your need for Jay angst with that little bit about him dying. ;) I thought it was kind of angsty, though I'd still love your opinion. **

**OTHER THAN THAT, I can't wait to see you all reviewing at the epilogue and hopefully the sequel. ;) Thanks for following me all this way guys. :D **

**REVIEW!**

_**~Charlie~**_


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